


hawaii

by sweetdanger



Series: S M [3]
Category: TWICE (Band)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-20
Updated: 2020-03-17
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:02:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 22,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22333858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetdanger/pseuds/sweetdanger
Summary: i haven't even finished my other fics, and yet!!! how many more words until i finally satiate my love for samo(yeon)?anyway, next chapter tomorrow! i'll probably be able to upload daily... not sure hehe warm hugs!
Relationships: Hirai Momo/Minatozaki Sana
Series: S M [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1515419
Comments: 18
Kudos: 245





	1. Tape 1 - Side A

“What do you say?” Sana asks, already reeling the images of fine sand and cool waves. She runs behind her victim, following with a big pout until she can make this girl say yes. “Hm? Think about it. There’s nothing on the schedule!”

But the said girl doesn’t budge, focusing instead on her new avocado recipe. This time it’s going to taste better than the last one.

Momo knows. For sure.

“Try this,” she mumbles as she raises the spoon to Sana’s mouth, her eyes crossing as she intends to look at the girl’s plump lips until she swallows the recipe whole. She holds up Sana’s chin and Sana’s mouth opens, obeying. Momo puts the spoon in her mouth. Still stays open. Not swallowing. Teasing. A playful smile, forming on the side of her lips. “Don’t you dare spit it out-!”

Sana gulps immediately and shouts her offer: “I’ll pay for the first dinner!”

This is for the yet-to-be-laid-down conditions that she’s expecting. Of course, Momo will go. But not without simple _foreplay_ \- she likes being nagged about it. Likes knowing how much she’s wanted, _needed._ Likes seeing Sana whine. Seeing Sana beg for it.

Sana knows this one too. For sure.

Before she can make any more offers, her face contorts sourly. Why did she even swallow in the first place? “Momoring! What the hell was in that?!”

“Avocado with mayonnaise, I think,” Momo laughs hard, hands on her tummy. Sana hits her, over and over and over, until she’s sure her arms have Sana’s palm prints on them. “Alright, alright! Stop it, I’ll go!”

Sana pauses. Smiles, too brightly. Lets those pretty white teeth out that it blinds Momo. Fills Momo. Outshines Momo. Sana closes the distance, too abruptly. And it takes the air out of Momo’s lungs. Takes her blood out of its stream, and pulls it back in. Takes the butterflies out of their cages. Takes the love out of Momo’s heart, serves it in a platter.

Sana can just reach for it.

So really, what can Momo do? She can only smile too, just as wide, and soon enough, lets herself get locked in a tight hold, almost choking. A loud screeching in her ear, like her eardrums would pop from this high decibel, but she pays no mind. Not a single thought. Even when her kitchen adventures are now forgotten, pushed to the side. She is twirling, with Sana in her arms.

Sana giggles.

And then again, what can Momo do? There are no thoughts. Only Sana.

“Get off me, you stink,” Momo whispers after a moment, burying her nose further in Sana’s hair and tightening her grip around the blonde girl’s waist. How Sana can make her own shampoo smell so nice, Momo will never really know, even if she’s the one who wears it every day.

“Hmm,” Sana hums, turns her head slightly, and it’s just enough for lips to meet cheeks. Just enough to make Momo smile wider and hold the girl closer. Just enough to soar in Sana’s delight, bask in Sana’s sunlight. Just enough for heartbeats to move in sync, one louder than the other, but nonetheless beating for each other.

It was gentle. It was pure. It was Sana.

“You’re so cute,” Momo says softly, stealing a temple kiss, then finally puts Sana’s feet down. They have always had the perfect height. Perfect for talking. Perfect for kissing. Perfect for reaching behind and lightly tapping Sana’s butt. Maybe it was too light. It makes them both giggle. She draws circles on Sana’s hips. “My last schedule’s on the 27th. You?”

“26th. Concert and just recordings the whole day,” the younger answers, distancing herself from Momo’s face, arms still looped around. She mindlessly plays with the ring on her own finger, hiding just behind Momo’s nape. She can’t help it though. Sana closes the distance, again, and lets their noses meet, shutting her eyes and cherishing the moment. “Don’t worry, I’ll help you pack.”

“You better,” Momo chuckles. “You got me into this.”

Sana opens her eyes and nods. Momo can see sunsets in them. They're beautiful. She's beautiful. She's perfect. She's Sana.

“No managers, no others, okay?” Sana makes sure of it. Makes sure that it’s just them this time. Makes sure that it's just Momo and Sana, and Sana and Momo.

And goddamn, what can Momo do?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i haven't even finished my other fics, and yet!!! how many more words until i finally satiate my love for samo(yeon)?
> 
> anyway, next chapter tomorrow! i'll probably be able to upload daily... not sure hehe warm hugs!


	2. Tape 1 - Side B

“I’d love for them to see it,” Momo suggests, trailing her words. Sana folds up another shirt. Momo packs her toothbrush. “Would that be fine with you? I can bring my camera, the white one. It’s lightweight. My phone cam is pretty good, too. If you don’t want cameras, I know how private you are, we really don’t have to. I just think-”

“Momo, you’re rambling,” Sana zips up her luggage and goes to Momo’s side, picking up unorganized clothes along the way. Momo follows her with her eyes, expecting. _Come sit on my lap._ But it doesn’t come. “You can do whatever,” Sana rolls Momo’s jeans neatly and tucks them in the carrier. “This can save up space, see? Roll them up like this.”

Momo grins, nods, and says, “okay,” crawling on the floor towards Sana’s crossed legs. Momo taps Sana’s thighs, silently asking _open them_ and Sana easily obliges; opens her legs _and_ arms, and then hugs her needy girl from behind. All that exhaustion from the two-day concert now lost in the embrace.

“You’re so clingy,” Sana mumbles in Momo’s hair, lips on scalp. They hug tighter, doesn’t know who closed in on who. They just know skin on skin. “Sweet, clingy baby.”

It tickles, Momo wants to say. But she lets Sana stay that way - whispering sweet nothings on her head, it’ll one day get in her head. It’s poetry, Momo delves on it sometimes. Sana can be very sweet, very gentle, very kind. It makes Momo’s heart burst.

Sana reaches for another one of Momo’s scattered pants, making both their bodies bend.

“Tickles,” Momo admits when Sana’s hair falls on her face. Sana grunts when her fingers finally caught on the loop of the pants she was aiming for, sitting back again and getting comfortable.

She can feel Sana’s heartbeat on her left shoulder, so she looks up at her. The world is upside down. She can only see Sana’s chin. It’s cute. “Your heart is loud,” she says. “I like the sound and feel of your heart.”

Sana only smiles sweetly, focused on her task. “And you smell nice,” she pushes on. “I like your scent.”

Momo uses both her hands to support her sides and leans up to kiss Sana on the chin, leaving a huge _mmmwah_ sound. “So I can take videos while on the trip?”

Sana hums, nods happily. That’s a big yes. She finishes rolling the pants and throws them swiftly to Momo’s luggage. “There you go, now you only have a thousand tops and a billion undies to fold.”

It’s Momo’s turn to groan.

\--

“You sure about this? We can still book for the next flight and follow you guys there.”

It’s unusual, of course, for two members to go on a long trip together without their managers. But they’re big girls now, not anymore strangers to the real world. They can handle a little escapade with the help of Google Maps and their broken English - it only takes a tad bit of confidence, after all.

So, yes, with tingling excitement, both girls decided to travel on their own after their concert and extra schedules.

Sana looks to her side, to a sleeping Momo. They’re in the van on the way to the airport. Momo’s head is caught by her neck pillow. Her lips parted, her hair all over the place. Sana thinks it’s pretty. Momo’s pretty. Very.

“It’s okay, Oppa. We’ll be fine.”

There is an infinitesimal gap between them - bottle of Pocari, some jellies, little things in the van. Sana thinks it’s a problem.

And Sana doesn’t like unresolved issues, so she moves, inching closer to Momo until the neck pillow is nothing but a support, and Sana’s own shoulder has replaced its utility. It makes her hips hurt, but Momo looks comfy.

Good, she likes it this way. Meeting Momo halfway, maybe even more. Taking one more step to her, maybe even two. The bliss is short-lived though because Momo turns in her sleep, and Sana’s resolution goes to waste. She frowns, holds Momo’s chin, tilting it towards her direction so the brunette could lie again on her shoulder.

But that wakes Momo.

“Sorry,” Sana whispers, parting Momo’s bangs and kissing her forehead. “Go back to sleep.”

But Momo only opens her eyes, looking at Sana’s loving ones. Their noses meet, their breaths warm. “Move further a bit. You’re in my space.”

“No,” Sana shakes her head. She smiles. Momo smiles. No one knows whose heart jumped first, but they hear a splashing sound between them. They hear it, amidst the traffic. They hear something happen, something click, and they giggle; because wow, Sana’s eyes are really light, it beats the earth. And Momo’s mole is a really tiny dot atop her nose bridge. It’s precious. It makes Sana want to curl into a ball and scream into her pillow. This girl is lovely. So lovely. Very. “Ugh, why does this hime cut look so good on you?”

Momo kisses Sana’s shoulder. She rests her her hand on Sana’s thigh, just above the flowers printed on their matching pants. Sana takes her hand gently, without ever pulling it up, letting their fingers fit the spaces between.

And Momo is sure, it’s her heart this time that’s loud. She remembers something.

“Can we take a video?” She asks, politely, and in a soft, hoarse voice. “Like, now?”

Sana touches her cheek, “are you still sleepy?”

She simply shakes her head, leaning into Sana’s touch.

“You’re like a puppy,” Sana notes and Momo scrunches her nose. Sana taps it. Cute.

Momo brings out her phone, says “let’s just wing it” when Sana asks what they’re going to talk about, and hits that white button to start recording. Sana was the first one to say hi.

“Yes, so,” Momo adjusts in her seat and includes Sana in the frame. “Where are we going?”

And it comes out naturally, when one said “Ha” and the other said “wa” and both of them ended with “ii”, prolonging it for the effect. Twins, most people would say. For them, it’s simple. Just Sana and Momo, completing each other’s words, sentences, lives. Cheesy.

“We’ve been planning on traveling for a while now,” Momo tells the camera and Sana nods to agree.

“Yep, we’ve always wanted to travel with the members, but it’s hard to get us all together,” Sana adds, plopping her feet up and getting comfortable. “So I said I want to travel with Momo.”

Momo brings the camera to their carriers at the back of the van, revealing how much they brought, when Sana suddenly exclaimed, “ah, Momo-ya, show them our pants!”

Momo quickly remembers, “yay, look!”

“What should we wear today? I asked Momo a while ago. We both wanted to wear comfortable clothing,” Sana begins to tell the story. What she hid though, was the bickering and the long argument.

_(“Why should we wear matching clothes?”_

_“Because it’s cute, Momo, just shut up and help me find something.”)_

“We agreed on wearing these track pants designed by Momo herself,” Sana continues. “We even thought of wearing hoodies before we left the dorm.”

_(“Hoodies? We’re going to Hawaii!”_

_“But it’s cold in the plane!”)_

“Anyway, we didn’t wear hoodies,” Momo changes the conversation, not wanting to make another fuss. “Also, guys, those two bags are empty,” Momo points to the back of the van. “If we happen to shop in Hawaii, we can put them in there. Smart, right?”

Sana likes this side of Momo; when she sounds like she’s talking to real life friends, like she knows them personally, updating them about her life like it’s a normal thing for idols to reveal these kind of stuff to the public.

“ONCE might get dizzy from watching this,” Sana comments when she sees how Momo’s arms shake too much from holding her phone up. She stares at her, wanting to make a point. Her poor little thing.

“Eh, that’s okay,” Momo waves off.

“Hm, alright,” Sana giggles, leaning closer to Momo like she’s always inclined to do so.

“We’ll film this freely, guys. Please understand that.”

“Right. We haven’t showed you vacation videos like this. Maybe just the pictures,” Sana tries to reason what Momo wants to word out. She is Momo’s own cheerleader, after all. Whatever Momo says, follows. If Momo wants to vlog, she’ll gladly offer herself for that same old girlfriend tag. “You only see us during promotions, never on our vacations. We know you’re curious. So we’ll just film it like this.”

“Honestly, we don’t have plans for this trip,” Momo chuckles lightly. “It’s also the first time MoSa are traveling together alone. Our managers were always there to help us. But don’t worry about us too much, everyone.”

It’s a nice thought, being out there alone with her best friend. What better way to spend their little holiday than together in a faraway island?

“We’re on our way to the airport now,” Momo reveals. “Baby, say bye to ONCE.”

Sana chokes on her Pocari. She could swoon and melt at the endearment, but instead she outwardly blushes. She covers her face, quite embarrassingly flushed, and pushes Momo’s shoulder, “I hate you. Warn me next time.”

Momo laughs and taps the button to end the video.

“Aww, you’re blushing,” Momo coos at Sana. The blonde swats her hand away and huffs. “You’re such a softie for me.”

And Sana agrees. You see, Sana loves everybody. But most of all, Momo loves Sana. Sana cares for everybody. But on top of everything, Momo cares for Sana. So yes, she’s a softie. What about it?

\--

The airport was busy, as always. They never really had a quiet moment in there, unless they ninja their way out. It’s cute, especially when fans are all over them and they talk casually like they are all close. _How are you, Momo? Enjoy your break! Sana, have you eaten yet? Don’t tire yourselves out. Where are you going? Was the concert fun?_ There’s a good distance that ONCEs maintain. The real ones know this.

Being out here without a single manager though, it gets rough. Momo never liked crowds. Neither did Sana, no matter how much of a social butterfly she is. So when someone came dangerously close - too close for their liking - Momo can’t help but grab her hand and walk faster. She can’t kick them in the shins so this will do. If it happens again… God forbid.

“It’s alright, no harm done,” Sana whispers to Momo, squeezing her hand like she did in the van a few hours ago. “They’re all just excited to see us.”

“That’s not a reason to invade our personal space,” Momo bites back but fakes a smile nonetheless when a fan with a camera greeted them. She adds through gritted teeth and clenched jaw, “they’re literally breathing on our necks.”

Sana loops her arm around Momo, successfully distracting both their thoughts. She bows and smiles to the few still following them. Never let the bad stuff get to you, Sana reminds herself.

“Let’s get something to eat before the flight, hm?”

Momo can’t wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> they had concerts on 190525 and 190526 i'm delusional to think they would pack together and be this clingy to each other but ANYWAY


	3. Tape 2 - Side A

“Wait at the lounge?” Momo lets Sana take her purse, only intending to bring her phone with her. She needs to pee. “I’ll be fast. You can order first.”

Sana beams, and Momo doesn’t know why. It puts Momo’s feet into a stop, burying them in the ground. There are domestic moments wherein Momo is _stuck_ , probably her subconscious wanting to stay in that place. It happens, sometimes, in the rawest of days. Sana pauses to look at something trivial and calls for Momo, saying, _this would make the members laugh!_ and Momo would stare, like a lovesick puppy, because Sana never goes anywhere without bringing her heart with her.

She never goes anywhere without the members.

So when Sana beams, Momo isn’t sure, as it comes without a pattern. She isn’t sure how Sana was so satisfied when she made Momo buy orange juice and Momo brought back peeled oranges in a plastic cup. Isn’t sure what Sana kept giggling at when they were in Singapore and Momo was trying to guess what her mission was, throwing out possible keywords like _Sana-ya, you’re cute, Sana-ya, you’re pretty._

Momo doesn’t look for reasons, doesn’t need to know why. Because it’s Sana. And Sana does that, every now and then - _shine_.

“What is it?” Momo tilts her head, doe-eyed. Her hime cut making her bangs look even cuter. _If that was even possible,_ Sana thinks. “Is there something on my face?”

The younger nods, still smiling. Points to her own lips. “Here.”

Momo creases her brows, wipes the side of her mouth with her fingers, mimicking the blonde. She can feel her bladder wanting to explode. But her feet - her feet are stuck to the ground, to Sana. “What is it?”

Sana tuts, pouts her bottom lip, as if thinking. “Not sure, but it’s there.”

“Where?”

Sana leans in, so quickly, that it felt like soft feather driven by a strong gust of wind. Her lips just barely touching Momo’s - right at the end of it, towards the left, where two ends of that thin skin meet, right where Momo’s fingers last were. “There.”

It sinks in. It lingers.

Sana kissed her.

Momo’s world crushes beneath her feet, and all that remains is golden dust. The wind whispers, hurling gold as it goes. It makes Momo’s head spin. But it doesn’t stop, not until it forms another globe, another world. Now brighter, now steadier. It smiles. It beams. It shines.

( _It_ was just the side of her lips. Could be considered a cheek kiss. But let Momo live.)

She just really needs to pee.

\--

When she sees Sana sitting there, Momo felt loud rumbling in her heart. It was probably the planes, landing and taking off, just a couple kilometers away from them…

Yeah. Probably just the planes.

She turns on the camera, walking up to Sana’s booth, feeling giddy for what she’s about to do. As she reaches it, the table that Sana reserved for them, she was surprised that the younger girl was already looking - smiling, and shining, and beaming - as if she was waiting all this time and knew that Momo was going to do something so… cheesy.

Typical Sana, the ball of sunshine. Typical day for Momo - heart beating so loud it wants to get out.

“Caught you,” Sana says with a huge grin plastered on her face. “Sneaking up on me?”

“Ooh,” Momo says, swiftly diverting the camera to the huge glass windows of the lounge. “Look what we have here.”

(Planes. It’s just planes.)

" _Ooh,"_ Sana mocks her, like she’s teasing. Momo wants to pinch that smirk off of her face. “Where are we right now, Momo-ssi?”

Momo turns the camera again to Sana and answers, “we’re at the Incheon Airport.”

Sana nods, says, “you are absolutely right!”, and giggles. She puts up a peace sign and closes her eyes, _beaming_ yet again.

(It was like thunder, roaring and clapping and singing like a metal rock band. Momo hears it clearly, like the headphones were put directly in her ears.)

(The planes. It must be the planes.)

\--

Momo feels natural at this, video blogging. Maybe it was from the long hours she spent livestreaming. Maybe she really should put up her own YouTube account. But that’s for another day.

“Hello,” Sana waves to the camera. “Hi, hello.”

“Hello, guys,” Momo waves too and stands up. “We’re at a lounge here.”

Sana follows her, unhurriedly picking a good spot. She taps the seat, waiting patiently. “Come, Momoring.”

Momo sits and puts the camera on top of the table. They’re seated again in one of the booths, like a U-shaped couch. The lighting is good, Momo decides. Or maybe it’s just Sana’s skin.

“Should we eat something?” Momo asks, looking at the camera but the question was directed to the girl beside her.

“Shall we?” Sana imitates the tone of Momo’s voice. She puts her chin on her shoulder, pouting.

“Stop acting so cute,” Momo rolls her eyes. Looks at Sana.

Sana puts out her tongue. She’s just a little kid.

Momo huffs. It’s unfair. She leans in, kissing Sana’s nose. The look on the younger’s face is priceless, as if she knows that Momo can’t resist her. And she’s so right.

“We’re going to eat now,” Momo announces, ignoring the blush on Sana’s cheeks. She might not be able to stop herself if she spoils her with another kiss. “Let’s go.”

They stand up and eat, filming whatever they got on their plates. Sana laughs at a tofu, getting reminded of a certain fair-skinned friend. There’s a little part in Momo that wanted all of the members to come with them.

Their flight is in 20 minutes. The view from the lounge is pretty. They could clearly see the sunset from here; orange, deep, and endlessly wonderful. They have some spare time.

“Sana,” Momo suddenly remembers. “Did you bring a hair straightener?”

“No,” the camera shifts to the food. Their conversation went from talking about the last concert to _hair straighteners._ “You didn’t bring one?”

" _You_ didn’t?” Momo counters.

“No,” Sana answers, eyes wide and confused.

“I didn’t bring one either,” Momo chuckles. They really have one working brain. “Anyway, to show ONCE that we are enjoying this vacation, I-”

“Ah, I have some crumbs around my mouth,” Sana cuts her off. She tries to remove them, feigning annoyance, using her fingers to pat them off of her lips. “It’s a bit sticky.”

Momo is immediately reminded of what happened a while ago. She gulps, and then shakes her head.

“It’s fine. It’s hard to see,” Momo manages to croak out. Sana giggles and purses her lips, like she’s trying hard not to laugh at Momo’s flushed face.

“Really?” She teases and smirks at the camera, at Momo.

And Momo, _again,_ diverts her camera to the glass windows. The sunset is suddenly a much more interesting topic.

“Pretty sky!” She exclaims while Sana is still stopping herself from giggling. “Look!”

Sana sees it. She nods to agree, and then looks at Momo, “so pretty.”

Momo clears her throat. She’s good at changing topics, isn’t she? Smooth Momo. She high-fives herself. Damn right smooth, Momo.

“Sorry to say this,” she lets the camera fall on Sana, recording her. How many more cover-ups until Sana catches on? “But we have to leave now.”

“Shall we?” Sana speaks in the quietest voice, superficial to the actual conversation. Momo is so pretty. So, so pretty.

“Our departure time is nearing,” Momo admits, though Sana’s eyes are putting her in place; brown, and deep, and endlessly wonderful.

“Should we?” Sana asks again, tilting her head. Her nose, eyes, lips, baby hair - all perfect. So, so perfect, Momo thinks. The camera can’t do her perfect face justice.

Momo smiles, and shines, and beams, “yes, okay.”

She stops recording, holding Sana’s hand as they enter the plane. The rumbling gets louder. Momo feels it beneath her feet, going up to her chest, and up and up, and her head would feel light, and the rumbling would only pause when Sana excuses herself to go to the toilet so she could remove her contact lenses and replace them with round specs that would look _so good_ on her that Momo would turn smitten and soft and putty and she hears the rumbling again like it's following her, everywhere they go, even when they are already thousands of feet above the clouds, and it's pathetic, stupid, and certainly not cute, and her stomach feels funny, and her heart is going to burst, and she feels cornered, and can't help but smile when Sana's head falls on her shoulder, and it's so mundane, the girl is simply _sleeping_ on her shoulder, but her head feels _so light_ that Momo can't help but remember the soft feathery kiss that almost made her lose her ground, and it's pathetic, it's stupid, it's certainly not cute, and it's so, so, so _foolish_ -

It’s just the plane. For sure.


	4. Tape 2 - Side B

It was vast and perfect, like someone splattered deep blue paint on the face of the Earth, and with great intent. Momo is ecstatic. Sure, she has been to beautiful islands, like Jeju, but that was some years ago. She was probably sleeping during the flight that time. Everything was definitely a haze, with all their work and schedule. The memories from there are now a blur, but she is sure that Jeju cannot even compare to the Hawaiian seas. From above, they look like they have diamonds on the surface. They sparkle and twinkle. It almost hurts Momo’s eyes. She could look away, but it looks so sweet, so romantic. The sun likes kissing it so much, she guesses, because how else would this be possible? It’s more than she imagined, and they haven't even landed yet.

“I think that’s the Pacific Ocean, Momoring,” Sana says, rubbing the sleep off of her eyes. “If not, please forget I ever said anything. I don’t remember geography. I was just trying to impress you.”

Momo holds Sana’s hand, playing with the ring on the girl’s finger. She traces the carvings on it, like instinct. Like a habit. Like it’s automatic. Sana’s head falls on her shoulder, yawning as the flight attendant announces something Momo can’t even hear. Her heart rumbles. The plane is slowly landing.

Momo squeezes Sana’s hand. Sana squeezes back. They are in their own world. The gold hurls. Sana creates new grounds. Momo doesn’t care about geography.

\---

“ONCE,” Sana greets happily, though jet-lagged. She has a flower garland dangling around her neck, so does Momo. “Aloha!”

“We have arrived,” Momo announces without missing a beat. She waves continuously to the camera. She’s so hungry.

“We’re going to the hotel now,” Sana adds and checks her phone. “It’s like, 11AM in Hawaii.”

Momo turns off the camera. Yawns.

“Still sleepy?”

Momo just nods. “Are we there yet?”

“Almost,” Sana sees from the GPS that their destination is three minutes away. Their manager rented a van for them prior to their arrival. “We can eat and sleep at the hotel.”

Sana reaches for Momo’s hand, looks at her and smiles. Momo tries to give back a sleepy, lopsided grin under her bucket hat. It probably came off ugly, Momo thinks. But Sana pinches her cheek and moves closer to her, kisses the top of her head, and plays with the ring on her left finger.

Momo feels like the prettiest girl in the world.

The driver looks at them from the rear-view mirror. Sana meets his eyes. He’s tan, chubby, and probably middle-aged, wearing an unbuttoned blue polo with white sando shirt underneath (Sana was expecting something with flowers and all that). He has a kind smile, one that says, _Welcome to Hawaii! Have a great stay!_

But that’s not what he _actually_ says.

“Are you married?” His voice is loud, like he has a megaphone stuck in his throat. It almost wakes Momo. “Sorry, you’re too young. Perhaps… just girlfriends?”

Sana understands. She simply smiles and chuckles, still playing with Momo’s ring.

“Well,” the driver with his thick accent nods to them. The bobblehead on the dashboard goes along with him. “Hawaii is a beautiful place, no? Girls and boys, and girls and girls, and boys and boys. They come here. Doesn’t matter. Perfect for honeymoon, for vacation, for family, for-”

“Yes,” Sana answers in a high-pitched voice. (It always comes out like this when she tries to speak in English.)

“Yes to what?” The van turns to a street. “To being married? Girlfriends? Or the honeymoon part?”

The question hangs in the air, and really, Sana was supposed to answer it, but Momo groans, loudly, and she asks again, “are we there yet? I’m so hungry I can eat this van whole.”

Sana giggles, hoping the driver doesn’t understand Korean. She looks outside and sees the huge sign of the hotel they are going to stay in. They see trees all over, and flowers, and people in blue shirts and brown pants, and _that’s most likely a real ass butterfly right there_. All around them are smiling faces and nature. Finally. A breather.

Sana is so excited.

The van stops, and the driver turns his body to say thank you and goodbye. Sana almost laughs out loud when he exclaims, the questions forgotten, “Welcome to Hawaii! Have a great stay!”

\---

“So, a funny thing happened,” Momo holds up the phone to her and Sana’s faces. “We tried to check in at this hotel in Hawaii…”

Beside her, Sana snickers, putting herself outside the camera frame. She can’t do this. Maybe it’s the hunger and exhaustion. This is just _too_ funny.

Momo holds in her laugh, a little smile playing in the corner of her lips. “See, it’s only about 11 in the morning, and the check-in time is at 3PM.”

Sana fixes her hair and her black cap. It looks crazily good on her. She’s still in her white shirt. They haven’t changed since they came to the place. But Sana looks like… like an angel visiting this heaven of a place. Momo isn’t even surprised anymore.

“But we didn’t know that,” Momo scratches her nose. “We didn’t know that we should check-in at 3PM, so now we are here to have... breakfast. Because in Korea, it's only 6AM.”

“We’re at a mall near the hotel and,” Sana talks and Momo shows the food. “We got these small meals.”

“Wah,” Momo groans. “Your face looks really good on camera right now.”

Sana blushes and turns to Momo, nosing her cheeks and kissing it once, twice. The loud smooching sounds are enough to free the bees in Momo’s stomach.

(It’s just hunger. For sure.)

Momo tries to hold up her phone while Sana smothered her with kisses. She whines, “ _S_ _tooop iitttt!_ Just eat your food!”

And Sana wraps her arms around Momo’s neck, shaking the camera’s shot but steadying Momo’s head tight on her hold. She pretends to roar, bark, or growl - as in emitting playful _Rrrrr!_ sounds - and then she bites Momo’s earlobe, gentle but still so sudden.

Momo yelps and swats her away. “Ya!”

Sana giggles, kisses her cheek one last time. “You’re so, so, _sooooooo_ cute!”

Momo starts recording seriously again. She’s in this vlogging stuff for real, man.

The blonde girl lifts up her drink, smiles to the camera. “Looks delicious, doesn’t it?”

Momo nods behind the camera, agreeing. Sana sips from the straw, hiding her face from the shot. Only the drink, her fingers, and her black cap are seen.

“Looks pretty,” Momo says, trance-like. She clears her throat.

Sana shows herself again to the camera and asks, “what looks pretty?”

“You,” Momo unabashedly admits. “Your ring, too.”

Sana opens her hand, raises it up to the lights. Her look glints with something Momo can’t describe. But it’s pretty. Still pretty. Still Sana.

“You mean _our_ ring, right?”

Momo hums and slips easily into Japanese. “Is that soda?”

Sana’s eyes are big and brown. Momo wants to swim in… the oceans. Of Hawaii. Yes. There.

She wants to face-palm herself. Sana is doing nothing but breathe, yet her thoughts are leading her somewhere else.

“Let’s drink together,” Sana invites as she opens a rice-box. “Ta-da! This is chicken. Karaage… I think?”

They go on like that, trying to make food reviews like actual YouTubers do. They talk about how the members would cook different dishes in the past, all from their own hometowns, and how those homemade recipes warmed their hearts and filled their tummies with love back when they were trainees. They even make Momo’s phone camera stand, and they cover the items with their palms, just so it would focus like how a DSLR camera would. Like how YouTubers do. Sana says, _I don’t think phones do that, Momoring_ , and then continues, _Certainly not an android’s front camera!_ and Momo hits her arm.

(Do NOT insult her phone.)

Sana is wrong though. Every time Momo brings the camera to Sana’s face, it blurs everything and everyone around her. It becomes like a macro-shot, only focusing on Sana. Momo wants to correct Sana for what she said, but then Sana smiles, and Momo hears a rumble, and maybe she’s just hungry, because suddenly, all is forgotten.

\---

Their managers insisted that they go on a package trip, but Sana didn’t want that. The tight schedules of a package trip didn’t seem enticing. She wants to relax, enjoy the views, and take it all in. She wants to go where her feet would lead her, not follow a group of people wherever they go.

And that is why they are here now, in a bus filled with locals, with no destination at all.

Momo is playing with her phone, taking videos of the scenery, the beaches, even the little children crossing the street. The older girl is sitting by the window; Hawaiian air hitting her, strong and humid. Her hair is in a mess under her bucket hat so she decides to tie it up in a ponytail. There are droplets of sweat on her forehead and her neck.

Sana takes the time to admire the view.

“Where are we right now?” She asks, mainly to distract herself.

Momo answers Sana in a low, sleepy voice, “Right now… we are on a bus… We don’t know where we’re going… We just took the bus…”

“Yes, we are on a bus,” Sana reiterates. She adores sleepy Momo. “We just watch whatever is outside.”

“We are on a bus,” Momo says again. “When do we reach out hotel?”

Sana closes her eyes, feeling the wind on her face. She hears kids laughing behind her, the sound of the waves, the grumbling of the bus, the chattering all around. It sounds a lot like life itself.

Momo takes the time to admire the view.

\---

“Sana-ya, can we sleep first?” Momo asks, unpacking. “Our dinner is at 7, right?”

Sana pads towards Momo and hugs her from behind, the action being reflected by the mirror in front of them. She glances to her side, city lights beginning to wake late in the afternoon. “Hawaii from the balcony looks nice.”

“That Hawaiian bed looks nicer,” Momo quips. She looks straight to the mirror, to Sana, to the queen-sized bed. “Cuddle me?”

Sana kisses her jaw, just under her ear. “Of course.”

(Momo dreams of blue waves, pink sunsets, and a smile.)

\---

Kissing.

Lots of kissing. There are lots of kissing, everywhere.

“Wake up,” Momo hears a whisper. “We have to find the place. We’re going to be late.”

Momo grunts. The bed is so soft. She flips herself to her front, sinking deeper into the pillows.

“Momo-chan,” Sana peppers kisses on the side of her tummy, her forehead, her ear, her cheek, her shoulder. “Wake up.”

This is better than any other alarm clock. Momo would never admit that. She never admitted it when they were trainees. She never admitted it when they finally lived as nine. She never admitted it when they were preparing for comebacks. She won't admit it now.

“Five more minutes,” Momo covers her face from Sana’s ministrations. Sana pulls on her arm.

“No, you already slept for two hours. I made an effort to reserve that dinner.”

“I have the right to sleep,” Momo peeks from her own cover, seeing Sana’s serious face, and decides on using her last bullet. “Please?”

Sana crosses her arms, leans on the headboard. “I’m gonna watch you. Five minutes.”

And watch she did. Momo threw a little tantrum on the way to the shower, mumbling about how she cannot get her precious power nap if a girl that pretty is looming over her.

\---

“We just took a nap at the hotel,” she holds the camera high, all freshened up. She still wants that extended nap. “Now we’re going to have dinner.”

“Ahh, I’m so excited!” the younger shrieks as she waves to the camera.

“We dressed up a bit,” Momo puts the back of her fingers on her chin just to highlight that _yes, I did this make-up myself._ Sana does the same thing, but mainly just to show off the ring on her finger.

“We’re wearing these one-piece dresses,” Sana points to her own. Momo adjusts the camera so it would show. She has yet to compliment her. She’s still a bit mad that she was woken up from a good nap.

“Yeah, we didn’t look this good when we filmed this a while ago,” Momo admits. Sana chuckles at that. “We put on make-up so we could have dinner together.”

Sana puts her hands on her cheeks, shaping her face. She looks like a Shiba puppy. Momo would never betray food, but maybe she could prioritize Sana at this moment. The girl simply looks beautiful in that summer dress.

Momo turns off the camera. Sana kisses her cheek. Momo pretends to wipe it off. Sana holds her hand, skipping their way to the elevator. Momo stumbles. There are a thousand reflections of Sana and Momo, and Sana is ever grateful that there is only one real Momo. Only one. For sure. She is holding Real Momo’s hand right now.

\---

The elevator dings and they are welcomed by the cool air of the city.

“Ah, I’m so excited!” Sana loops her arm around Momo's shoulder. The older girl looks up at her, their height difference seemingly funny. “I love this!”

“Oppa,” Momo says playfully.

“You know this, ONCE,” Sana starts explaining to the camera. “I’m wearing heels so I look so much taller than Momo right now, though we are similar in height.”

“Oooh,” Momo teases. “Can you walk with those high heels?”

“I’m not sure. I might feel exhausted after 10 minutes,” Sana answers honestly, her arm still around Momo. “Would you carry me if my feet get too tired, Momoring?”

“No.”

“Rude,” Sana pouts, but she holds Momo closer and does a cheek-to-cheek kiss.

“You have to buy sandals later,” Momo suggests.

“But we have to buy couple sandals if we find one,” that’s Sana’s one-way mind for you. If she has it, Momo also has to own one.

“If we find pretty ones that are comfortable, then sure,” Momo sees a little fountain to her side, and a pool. “Is this the right way?”

“I guess,” Sana says. “We can get out of the building this way… Wah, are you seeing this? It feels like a dark night. That’s crazy.”

“It’s too dark,” Momo comments. “Look guys, it’s an outdoor pool! Sorry if the shot is too dark. I’m afraid you can’t see our faces right now.”

“This hotel is so nice,” Sana did see a lot of facilities that they have here. Momo agrees. “There are two outdoor pools. The one we saw back there was like a water park. This one is for families with kids, I think.”

“Right, that’s why I like it,” Momo says distractedly. Sana teases with a _not because of the bed?_ and Momo answers with a _no, you pervert_. “Is this really the right way?”

“Yes, I already told you,” Sana holds her hand, squeezes. Leave it to the both of them to never have a single topic. “ONCE wouldn’t even imagine that we’re traveling together and filming.”

“Yup, they can’t,” Momo squeezes back. Just because. “I don’t think this is the right-”

“Let’s turn on the navigator?” Sana reassures her. She’s getting lost herself, but walking like this is so relaxing. Momo just answers with a _yeah, that’s probably a good idea._ Momo craves for food anyway. She woke up for this.

“Today we made a reservation at a fancy restaurant,” Momo tells with a smirk on her face. Sana mirrors her expression. So they’re smug about their first fancy dinner date... Leave them alone. “I heard it has good food, too.”

“The restaurant has a nice view of the cityscape,” Sana adds and puts her arm around Momo again, not letting go of Momo’s hand so that it’s now laying over Momo’s chest. “That’s all we could tell you.”

Momo shuts the camera off as they enter a small shop. They can’t help it. Shopping is their biggest addiction. Next to each other, of course.

They see a mirror and do poses. Another one of their things, aside from squeezing hands and nose kisses and shoulder bumping when walking and-

“We’re getting close to the restaurant now,” Momo is getting tired of holding up the camera. She needs a selfie stick soon. Sana’s hair is all over, the wind hitting her just right. She finds it amazing that Momo’s bangs don’t even budge.

“But look, there are so many pretty boutiques around,” Sana points somewhere across the street. “I want to go there, but we have to go now since we made a reservation.”

“We will arrive there soon,” Momo says with her tight-lipped smile that’s overly cute for Sana’s heart. And Sana gives off her signature _Waaahhh_ , making them look like five year olds excited for food.

After a few moments, they reach the restaurant’s entrance. Oh, it was fancy, alright. They are greeted by a man in a suit, smiling kindly.

“Good evening, do you have a reservation?” The guy asks, looking between them.

Sana nudges Momo to speak. Momo shakes her head, wanting to laugh this off.

“Y-yes,” Momo answers shyly. The guy asks another question, _Name, please?_ “Minatozaki Sana.”

Sana hugs her from behind, holding her hand and kissing her jaw for good measure. She whispers, _My name sounds so good coming from your lips_. Momo's knees buckle. The guy in front of them just grins, holding out his hand to the right. “You can go up now. Use the escalator on the right and follow the signs.”

Momo turns on her camera when they were going up. There were a series of escalators actually, one floor after the other. They needed to get to the top floor. Momo wonders why there isn’t an elevator. Sana walks first, excitement running in her.

“We’re finally here,” Momo grabs Sana’s hand to stop her from hopping her way to the restaurant. Sana exclaims _Yes, we are here! I’m starving!_ “We can have dinner now.”

Sana runs again to the next escalator. The last one, hopefully.

“Momoring, I can see our hotel from here!”

\---

Sana wasn’t kidding when she said it wasn’t easy to get a table in this place. Momo wouldn’t even deny - the moment they entered the two-door opening, it was like the gates of heaven welcoming them. Except, right now, she’s very much alive; the soft music combined with quiet murmurs, clanking of utensils, and the smell of good food… Yup. They could all attest to that. Momo is alive... and famished.

The warm ambiance complements the panoramic scape. Momo has only been to a few high-end restaurants and this is by far the best. Sana tells her _That’s our seat_ as a waiter leads them to their table. Momo doesn’t notice the secret of this dinner yet. She just sits with her mouth agape when Sana finally pulls a chair for her.

“You like?” Sana asks, for reassurance. Momo could only nod, still wide-eyed and looking around. The waiter comes into view and greets them in fluent Japanese. Maybe Sana has already talked to them before coming here, who knows? Momo flickers her eyes to the guy. He looks just like the one downstairs. Or maybe Momo just can’t remember whatever happened before this. She hears Sana’s small voice and snaps out of it. “Ah, serve us two cocktails, please? House special.”

The waiter bows slightly and leaves them with the menu.

“Momoring, close your mouth,” Sana is looking through the short list of food, biting her lips while her eyes are stuck browsing the menu. (And Momo’s are stuck to her.)

“Is this a five.. I mean, like... twelve-star restaurant?”

“I’m not so sure about that. Do you want me to ask?” Sana says, already raising her hand to call someone.

“No, no, I was joking!” Momo holds her hand down and shakes her head. “It’s just…”

Momo looks around again. All these people wearing expensive dresses and expensive suits with their expensive watches and expensive bags. She has those things, too, but wow, this is on another level.

“Too much?” Sana tilts her head and stares at Momo with concerned eyes. The older girl immediately feels guilty when she sees insecurity in them.

“Of course not,” Momo denies, shaking her head again. “This is nice, actually. I feel rich and all that good stuff. For once.”

Sana lets out a sigh of relief but it’s still there. “Really? We can-”

“Don’t even start,” Momo puts her hand above Sana’s, switching to Japanese to sound even more sincere. “I appreciate this a lot. I love it too much. You’re reading me wrong, Sa-tang.”

The waiter arrives and Momo doesn’t remove her hand. Sana flips her palm up, tickling Momo’s as the waiter puts down their drinks. She sees Sana smile. Momo sits back, glad to feel a whole lot better.

“Have you decided on what to order?”

Sana gives her the task. Momo almost orders everything.

\---

“We are here to enjoy dinner against the nightscape,” Momo just found out that this restaurant revolves slowly. It took her by surprise, not gonna lie.

( _“It moves?!”_

_“Quiet down, Momoring. You scared the kid from that table-”_

_“We’re moving?!”_ )

Momo turns the camera to reveal Sana taking a selfie. Sana notices and waves, then bites on a stick of their appetizer. Her background were citylights and, further from that, the sea. Momo could almost smell it from here.

There was a bar in the middle of the restaurant. It’s like magic to Sana. She drops comments like _That’s so cool! I want to try that!_ when the bartender does some tricks. It doesn’t take much to impress her.

Their food comes, (after ten minutes of Momo shooting scenes of Sana’s rambles), and they start to eat. Momo mounts her phone from a good distance so she could do a timelapse. It would be perfect for the revolving restaurant. They enjoyed their shared pasta and talked about anything under the Hawaiian sky. It’s what makes her heart flutter sometimes, the normalcy of things when it comes to Sana.

It’s normal to rant about nonsensical stuff. It’s normal to talk about their innermost secrets at a crowded restaurant. It’s normal to laugh and snicker about the members’ funny pictures even when they are not present. It’s normal to put her chin on the palm of her hand once in a while and stare at the girl in front of her. It’s normal to be called pretty every five minutes. It’s normal to blush at that every time. It’s normal to take pictures of that same girl in her after-eating state. It’s normal to drink champagne and say a toast to their seven-year friendship. It’s normal to be treated, extravagantly at that, to a fancy dinner. It’s normal to go to Hawaii with your best friend; the one who gets you the most, the one who stays through the bad and good, the one who makes you want to be a better person, the one who brings out the best in you.

The one. The only one. It’s normal to think that Sana is the one.

(Momo hopes.)

\---

They finish dinner and head out. Their feet would scold them by the end of the night, but that’s what they want most to do - explore. See the lights. Talk to the locals. Shop. Sana would type in the location on their modern compass - Google Maps - and they would go straight to the red pin. The red pin, this time, is a night market.

Sana gleams in delight.

And Momo? Momo brings out her phone and keeps everything in its memory, narrates every part of the story as if she wants the world to remember.

“Yes, you must get a cute one-piece in Hawaii,” Sana replies after Momo said she wants one.

There are little shops with all sorts of souvenirs - shirts, bobbleheads, slippers, garlands. You name it and it's likely there.

They were walking hand in hand when an old woman calls for them, “May I help you, ladies?”

Sana nudges Momo, covers her mouth as if she’s telling a top secret. “Should we get something for you, m’lady?”

“Ah, maybe that thing you put on your hair?”

Sana rolls her eyes. She blatantly flirts and Momo would say something else. Sana picks out flower pins for her, setting them atop her bun, even risking to come dangerously close to Momo’s face while putting those pins on her hair - nothing. Momo is focused on taping the whole thing with her damn phone.

“Love is not something you get in return,” the old woman says, barely a whisper, but Sana heard it clear. She isn’t looking at Sana, but the Japanese knows it was for her. Sana’s hands stop and she fakes a smile, glancing at the woman. The kind of smile she gives to fans when she’s too tired. “You don’t ask for love. Love comes to you.”

Now, Sana might not be fluent in English, but she understood that very well. Well enough for her heart to constrict.

“I think I’ll take this one,” Momo grins at her, bright and beaming, having chosen a blue flower hair pin.

Sana grabs the pin rather harshly, puts it back where it came from, taking Momo’s hand and walking away from the store. “I see prettier ones there, let’s go.”

Momo could only follow.

“Are you ready? That one $2,” another store owner says. This time, the woman’s accent is making Momo’s head spin. So she doesn’t talk, just lets Sana decide on what flower size she wants. It’s taking them too long. “That one ok? $2.”

“Sana,” Momo calls in a whisper. “I think she’s getting mad at us.”

“Don’t mind her. At least she’s not telling us nonsense,” Sana turns with a fake (but kind) smile when the woman says _Don’t take too long time, ok? You taking too long!_ “Sorry, we’ll get these.”

Sana isn’t in a bad mood. Momo can confirm that. There’s just something else.

“Ta-da!” Momo fixes the flower behind her ear, still looking at her phone.

“We got these,” Sana walks beside Momo. They both show their newly-purchased goodies. “And bracelets, too.”

“Couple bracelets,” Momo shows hers too. It’s vintage, quaint, with wooden beads and seashells.

“I think we will get more couple items during this trip, don’t you think?” Sana nonchalantly says, going to another store. Something caught her attention again, and Momo is simply happy to oblige.

(She hears some rumbling, but this one is softer than the rest. Must be the motorcycles. Or the chained seashells that dangle and clink.)

They look around some more until they reach a dead end. It’s what happens when they have no plans at all, letting their feet take them wherever.

They go back to the main street, where they first came from. It can’t be helped when they pass by the stores _again_ , and Sana is, _again_ , captivated by the littlest of things.

(Seashells.)

\---

The water is of a color so gray that they both can't see what's up ahead; because it’s nighttime, and the waves are strong, and the moon is hovering the sea like it wants to be with it tenderly. It sends letters through the waves. The air is sticky and heavy. It’s not cold. It’s not hot. It’s wind. Just wind. Momo almost couldn't feel any sensation except its blows. Her cheeks are growing cold. The sand is fine and pure, gray and white. It crawls inside Momo’s sandals and gets stuck in Sana’s heels. There are palm trees lined up, following the tracks. Their tall shadows make everything look darker.

It’s almost midnight in Hawaii.

“The beach at night,” Momo pans the camera to their current view. Sana poses - like a real model out to get her dollars. She looks so pretty, all traces of her mood earlier gone with the wind.

“I love it!” Sana bursts. “I love the sound!”

They walk along the beach and literally sightsee. It’s a pity they didn’t go when the sun was still up. The sunset must have been majestic.

“Aloha,” Sana bows her head to no one. Momo stops walking and sees a 10-foot tall statue of a naked man. Momo giggles. Sana can be funny when she wants to.

“Aloha,” she follows Sana and bows her head, too. They bump shoulders. Sana asks if they could cross the street. “I’ll stay and wait for you here.”

Sana takes pictures of the beach's landscape on the other side. Momo takes videos of her from the other side. Cars pass by. Sana waves at her.

(The sun is majestic.)

\--

They go for groceries. Gotta eat like a local, too, right?

Sana looks for food and some souvenirs for her parents. Momo takes the camera with her, whining about how she misplaced her phone somewhere. It’s sad, she doesn’t know where she put it. It’s why she’s using her digital camera at the moment. She doesn’t have anything to shoot right now though, not without Sana around.

“I lost my phone,” Momo says sullenly to the camera. “I’ll go back tomorrow to see if we could retrieve it… I really want to upload these videos so we could show them to you.”

“Momoring, I found some good chips,” Sana appears from her back with bags of chips in her arms. She puts them down in the basket and points to them one by one. “This one is spicy. This one you already know of. This one is - well, I’m not sure yet. It’s called Doritos. Do you want me to buy wine? We could get some. The hotel surely won’t mind, right?”

When Momo doesn’t answer, Sana finally looks up.

“Momoring?”

Momo pouts, her lips trembling.

“Hey, hey,” Sana opens her arms and Momo falls into them with a deep, shaking sigh. “Don’t worry, we’ll find your phone tomorrow.”

“I-it’s not that,” Momo holds Sana and hugs back tighter. “I just - I don’t want to lose those videos w-we took. And my f-files.”

Sana hushes her, patting her head. “We’ll find it, I promise.”

(They find it the next morning.)

\---

When they enter their hotel room, Momo removes her sandals and plops down on the bed with a huff. She waves her hands and feet angrily, throwing kicks and punches.

“I’m so annoyed! I should’ve checked my bag before we left!”

Sana also takes off her sandals and sling bag. She then lies beside Momo, puts one arm and one leg around the girl, embracing her from the side and calming her nerves. She reaches for Momo’s cheek and kisses her nose lightly. Momo closes her eyes, breathing out the exhaustion from today.

“We’ll find it tomorrow,” Sana convinces her for the nth time. “I’ll make a bath for you.”

Sana prepares to stand, but Momo grabs her wrist before she could even turn around. “Stay for a while.”

Sana is happy to do so, hugging Momo again. It’s a koala hug. Sana’s favorite.

“Don’t fall asleep,” Sana whispers on Momo’s neck. She fits here. Every part of them fits. “I bought those chips for us to eat and talk.”

Momo shifts. Their eyes meet. “Why? What should we talk about?”

Sana parts Momo’s bangs, ever so gently with her fingers. She closes her eyes and kisses Momo’s forehead, the space between her brows, the bridge of her nose, and then the tip of her nose. She pauses. They’re so close.

Sana isn't in a bad mood. There's just something else.

“Momoring,” Sana whispers, tucking a loose hair behind Momo’s ear. “What ever should we talk about?”

(Momo hears rumbles from a distance. It gets louder, wilder. It might rain later, she supposes.)

“Let’s shower,” Momo’s senses are heightened. They are exchanging breaths, their lips are so near to each other, and Sana’s fingers are playing with her earlobe.

“Together?” Sana asks with a playful smile. Her fingers do not stop.

Momo clears her throat, throws Sana’s leg away from her. “No, I’ll go first.”

Momo grabs her toiletries and locks the bathroom door. She doesn’t shower yet.

Sana curses into the sheets.

\---

“Sana-ssi,” Momo calls from the chair beside the bed, still wearing her clothes from earlier. Sana is still on the bed. “What chips did you get?”

( _“Why didn’t you shower?”_

_“So I wouldn’t fall asleep.”_

_“Don’t you want to fall asleep?”_

_“I-”_

_Silence._

_“I want you to fall asleep first.”_

_“Why?”_

_“So I could take a video of you sleeping.”_

_“Oh.”_ )

“Me?” Sana turns in the bed, desperately extending her hands so she could reach for her bag of groceries. “What I got is muscle pain in my calves.”

(It makes Momo laugh. Sana can be funny.)

Sana stands up from the bed, looking for the chips she bought. She’s in Momo’s frame now. “Even my feet hurt, Momoring.”

“You'll be fine. Meanwhile, I...” Momo begins to say to the camera. “I’m feeling rather sad because I lost my phone.”

Sana dances without music, shaking her hips side to side, teasing Momo as she tells ONCEs of how she lost her phone.

(Momo will edit this vlog herself, and she would label this part with an “On the other hand, Sana-ssi seems like she’s enjoying.” It would make Momo laugh. Sana can be funny.)

“If you’re not feeling well, have one of those cinnamon rolls,” Sana suggests with a soft voice, momentarily pausing her little dance. She smiles at Momo.

Momo turns to Sana and smiles back. It doesn’t reach her eyes. “Ah, right, I forgot about that.”

Sana sighs, walks over to Momo, and wraps her arms around her. “You’re so tense.”

Momo hums, swaying them both. There is still no music.

“If you’re going to be grumpy all night, I won’t cuddle with you.”

Momo pouts once more, giving Sana a look.

“I’ll get the chips. We’ll eat. Drink. Shower. Sleep,” Sana lists down. “And when the sun rises, we’ll find your phone.”

Momo whines and they stop swaying. Sana holds her hand, filling the spaces between Momo’s fingers. She lets her lips meet the shell of Momo’s ear, and then she sings in a quiet voice, “Cheer up, baby.”

(It makes Momo giggle. Sana can be convincing.)

Sana sits beside Momo and looks for the chips. “So many things happened, but still…”

“We’ll make sure to find the phone tomorrow,” Momo repeats like a mantra. She groans and rolls her eyes. She’s really mad at herself.

Sana is trying to create another world. “If I open this, will you share it with me?”

“I lost all my appetite after I lost my phone,” Momo mumbles and checks her purse again. “It’s really not here, huh?”

“I think it should be,” Sana likes the smell of spicy chips. It’s good. Momo shakes her head. “This is really so red. Look at this, Momoring.”

Momo takes the bait. Only because she's hungry, too. “Let me try and see if it’s really spicy.”

(They find out Doritos are really spicy, and really good, too.)

Momo stands up, away from the camera. Sana gets an idea.

“Wanna dance?” Sana starts to count down. “5, 6, 7, 8…!”

Momo shakes her head and takes the camera again, heading to the balcony. “No, Momo is still sad.”

Sana follows her a bit later and they take pictures on the balcony. Sana posing for Momo, showing off her side profile. It’s Momo’s favorite, this view. The beach down below, the lights, the night sky, the bright moon above them. And it’s also Momo’s favorite, this kind of music. The distant noise from the streets, the waves splashing onto the shore, and Sana's _That's a secret, baby_ when Momo asks her what she would say if the driver from earlier asks them again what they are to each other, and Sana's sleepy antics when she rambles _I don't have to ask for your love, right? You'll come to me?_ , and Sana’s giggle as she drunkenly says _How does this cheap wine taste so_ _good?_

(They talk. They kiss. They shower together. They dress themselves in Kakao pajamas; Sana wears what was supposed to be Momo's and Momo wears what was supposed to be Sana's. They sleep in each other’s arms.)

(They forget these in the morning.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> that's one day.


	5. Tape 3 - Side A

“Morning.”

Momo grunts as soon as she hears. As disheveled as she is, Sana in the morning is golden. Sunlight peeks from the balcony window, cutting the sheets in two. There is a partition between their bodies, between their searching souls, like this scene was written in the stars centuries ago - but the issue is, that was centuries ago. Momo can’t even remember what happened last night.

“Morning, Sa-tang.” She stretches lying down, hoping not to remember what happened hours before. It must’ve been bad, seeing that their buttons are mismatched and their breaths are… well. It was wine they drank, alright.

Momo will beat this some day, the feeling of being overtaken and overwhelmed by Sana’s radiance, but right now, the sun, the biggest star, is high and hot it makes their skin glow - Momo lets it sink in, lets it pour in. It is murmuring something she can hardly hear, perhaps a name, but it’s too early to decipher something so faint. Momo had to turn around to realize it wasn’t a dream.

Sana slowly creeps into Momo’s arms, like the morning light, soft and quiet. Momo kisses her temple and runs her fingers through Sana’s hair, and when she can’t resist, she plays with her earlobe. Sana noses her neck, nuzzling there like she was meant to fit.

“Agenda for today,” Sana begins to list down, unbuttoning Momo’s pajama top, matching the mismatched. “Brush teeth. Get your phone. Shop,” Sana whispers and yawns. “Eat. Get a massage. Eat again… Go back. Sleep?”

Momo hums and says, “Sounds good.”

There is a pause, but ultimately, it becomes filled with scorching, bleeding light. _Get up_ , that’s what Momo hears - but she won’t, unless Sana does, unless she figures it out, and until they can arrange these messy fragments from last night.

“Spicy Doritos,” Momo says in a hoarse voice that made something inside Sana swirl. The older girl furrows her brows. Makes her look adorable. Makes Sana want to kiss her. So she does, on the smooth skin of Momo’s neck, just below her jaw. “Then what happened? Did you use my shampoo? When did you shower? Did you wake up before me?”

Sana’s head hurts.

“Urgh,” she groans against Momo’s chest, cold lips on warm skin. “One more question and my brain would explode to pieces, Momoring.”

Momo hugs tighter, intertwining legs with Sana’s. There’s a song playing from a distance. It sounds like reggae. That one, Momo can hear clearly. “Yeah, mine too.”

\--

“Hey,” Momo calls. “Look here.”

Sana smiles at the camera. Momo thanks the man who invented cameras. That’s sappy. Too sappy. She clears her throat.

“We found the phone!” She wants to clap. Sana cheers with her. It’s a celebration, right? “I’m so relieved.”

“What a relief, alright,” Sana sighs, walking side by side with Momo. It took them a long while to get up from the bed. It was comfy, Sana reasons. Momo was all soft and comfy.

It’s hotter now that they are outside. People are talking loud, a mix of English and Japanese, and some other words that Sana doesn’t even try to understand. It’s peaceful though, the chattering. It serves as white noise; especially when Momo is bright and beaming, like the sun, which is, by the way, currently pricking into her skin. A distraction, mayhaps, for her to be able to remain sane. There is a cool breeze, and then there’s heat. And then there’s Momo, somewhere in the middle.

Sana hears her rant about that phone again, and she rolls her eyes, because Momo’s hands flail around whenever she talks, and Sana’s hand is needy, and it’s empty, and even though it’s literally hot as hell, she wants to be held, and Momo already found her phone, so why still talk about it when -

“Hold my hand,” Sana says. It’s not a request, most definitely not a plea, but a command that the older girl has no say on, and it makes Momo’s cheeks hurt. She’s smiling too much. “Don’t just stand there.”

Sana puts out her hand. Momo stops recording and immediately takes the offer. Sana tries to maintain a straight face, but Momo is so pretty under the sun, and they are walking together hand in hand, and somehow it fits - like they were supposed to be here. She’s seen all of Momo - knows where all her moles are intricately placed, knows how her skin works, how it stretches, where her body is most sensitive, and all its weaknesses - yet Sana can’t help but drool. Momo’s wearing a cute sleeveless top that defines her collarbones. Momo’s wearing the most basic of pants that - thanks to Sana’s fortune - hugs her curves. Momo’s wearing something, well, mediocre, like something that any other girl who just got out of bed and is too hungry to care about clothes would wear. But look at her, man, just _there_ , existing, in her simplest, most gorgeous form - taking in every view, every mid-rise building, every fellow curious tourist that they encounter, every street performer they watch, every hint of the beach.

Just Momo, breathing.

It’s hot.

\--

Momo leads the way. Sana just lets her. It’s easy when your best friend knows where you want to go; when the feeling is there, and you let your feet guide you towards it, and you are both seeing the road, and it’s okay if it’s daunting, unfamiliar, as long as you have each other memorized.

Momo was the one who chose this restaurant, that’s the literal explanation. Momo knows what Sana wants, that’s the explanation that Sana wants everyone to know.

“Walk in front of the camera,” Momo says, looking back at her. Sana’s heart skips a beat. Maybe it was just the sun. Maybe it was Momo. Maybe it is something else. “Like you are my girlfriend and I am yours.”

And it’s much easier - would be much easier - if only they could be much, much more… honest. They are not lying per se, but rather hiding, which, Sana thinks, is so much, much more frustrating. Because lies could be spoken out, but secrets of the heart could be kept forever; unless something, or someone, could start a thundering war, and the walls would crumble, and the heart would not be able to contain both the leftover devastation and its very own destruction, or deconstruction - because, you know, love heals.

Maybe then, just maybe… it could be… so much… much more… 

“I’ve been waiting for you to ask me that,” Sana answers simply, shrugging and getting on with the plan. And there it goes, you see, the honesty - covered in thick honey and teeth-rotting sugar and sweet jam; covered in secrets; secrets built inside walls; walls contained in a heart so secretive.

“Waiting for me to ask you what?”

Sana leads the way. Momo follows. Love lets them be. The smell of the beach encapsulates the whole city. There’s a flower atop Sana’s ear, and it makes her look so pretty, _too_ pretty. When the traffic lights turn red and Sana stops walking, Momo also stops. There’s a distance between them, so close, _too_ close. Sana’s hand reaches for the camera, light brown eyes looking straight at Momo through the lenses. She flaunts her ring, _their_ ring. Thunder rumbles, and yet the sun is naked and proud in all its glory.

Momo puts her phone away, making Sana giggle; covering her mouth with her hand, her hand with the ring. Her eyes got lost somewhere beneath her lids. Even if they were gone for just a split second, Momo missed them. “You’re blushing.”

“I’m not.”

“Momo-chan,” Sana teases. She puts a finger on Momo’s chin, raising them up a bit, as if she knows what she is doing. As if this isn’t scaring her. As if they aren’t testing brand new waters. As if they aren’t walking on brand new lines. “You are.”

She stares, perhaps lovingly, smiling wide. Momo wants to - wants to just… Just _pinch_ that playful glint away.

_10._

_9._

_8._

She grabs Sana’s hand, too abruptly, pushing the girl closer. There was a yelp, but it was more like a surprised _Ack!_ In the corner of the street, their noses meet. Sana’s is warm and cute and tall. Momo scrunches hers, letting them brush softly against each other. She can’t help but grin. “You’re blushing.”

“I’m not.”

“Sana-chan,” Momo teases. She puts a finger on Sana’s chin, raising them up a bit, as if she knows what she is doing. As if this isn’t scaring her. As if they aren’t testing brand new waters. As if they aren’t walking on brand new lines. “You are.”

Momo waits for it to turn green.

_7._

_6._

_5._

“Mom!” A little kid bumps into them, breaking the tension. They look down on him - a cute little boy with stubby legs, wearing a superhero shirt. He smiles at the two ladies, looking up at them with an adorable face. He’s holding something - maybe a chocolate. He giggles, then he runs towards someone, shouting, “Mooooom!”

_4._

_3._

_2._

Sana clears her throat. Pulls away. Fixes the strap of her backpack. Walks first. Momo tails her. Puts out the phone, recording again. And Momo says pouting, “I’m hungry.”

“Me too,” Sana whines.

_1._

They cross the street, side-by-side with the kid who bumped into them.

“Hello,” Sana greets in English. “Enjoying?”

The boy nods, showing his chocolate-covered teeth. Sana smiles back at him in contentment.

“Do you want to buy food for later?” Momo asks, distracting the younger from playing. She waves to the kid and shouts _bye-bye!_ Momo’s heart hurt with how tiny it sounded. Sana turns to her and nods - once, twice, multiple times. Momo wants to - wants to just… Just _ki-_

“Let’s go to that small mart and then to the restaurant.” She pockets her phone, takes Sana’s hand, and kisses the back of it, just above the ring.

And what can Sana do? Say no?

\--

After a short trip to the store (where they only bought fruits and chips, because really, what did you expect from two careless girls whose tongues only know sweet and salty?), they went straight out. It was a famous Italian restaurant. It’s perfect. Carbs on top of carbs - pizza, pasta, and cheese! And maybe the beach alongside it is pretty too. But look here, whenever Momo opens her camera, and the lighting is nice, and food and Sana are both in front of her, it’s like heaven on earth, like this scene was written years, _centuries_ ago -

“Eat.” Sana gulps down her lemon fizz soda. There are bread crumbs all around her mouth. “Food’s getting cold. Put that down for a while.”

“How is it?” Momo asks giddily, zooming into Sana’s face and disobeying. “You look so beautiful in this light... Sana’s food review! That bread looks yummy.”

Sana laughs, covering her mouth full of bread. Momo’s one line comment made something in her flip. She could choke, but the moment is perfect.

“Well,” Sana starts, tearing the bread in half. She’s telling her heart to calm down. “It’s soft and the texture is… you know this, right? It’s delicious.”

And then Momo laughs too, eyes dripping with honey. “Yeah, I get it.”

Sana puts her elbow on the table and purses her lips, patting them with her fingers. A playful look that Momo just wants to - wants to just… “You do?”

“Yes.” Momo leans in until there is only an inch of air between them. No one is backing out. It’s like being on top of a cliff, so close to the untraveled waters. Sana loves this honesty.

The waiter clears his throat, looking directly at Momo like she is the only one acknowledged. The two girls back away slowly, unlike thin skin on close fire. They are more pissed off than embarrassed.

He serves the pasta and says in Japanese, “Do you need anything else, miss?”

Momo shakes her head, flustered (at what Sana made her feel, not at the waiter - Sana knows this).

“I recommend getting this pizza,” he flips the menu in front of Momo. Sana rolls her eyes. Momo wants to laugh it all off, but jealous Sana is damn right adorable. “We also have wine. Never too early for wine-”

“Water, please?” Sana smiles up at him. “I am _so, so_ thirsty…”

Sana looks at Momo and leans close to the table. “ _My_ Momoring here is just too… _ugh_ ,” Sana groans, elbow on the table, palm on her cheek. She pouts. “Hot, isn’t she?”

She stares at Momo and bites her bottom lip. Sexily - like, really. Momo could collapse. “Hot, pretty, and _so_ , _so_ … _mine_.”

Momo is over the moon. Her surprised face would show. She mouths, “You’re annoying.” but Sana didn’t budge.

“Ma’am, I think you misunderstood-”

“I didn’t.” Sana tilts her head, still looking at Momo. And Momo finds it cute, with her doe eyes and all that. “I can’t blame you. She’s gorgeous, look at her.”

Sana would be the death of Momo, but that’s okay, right? Dying in the name of love?

Without looking at the poor guy, Sana waves him off. “Scram.” 

The waiter seems entranced, like he’s trapped in Sana’s world. Momo snickers. This is her Sana, always pretty and always teasing and always playful. The waiter bows, finally leaving them.

Sana lets out an annoyed huff and crosses her arms. “I told you, you shouldn’t be so pretty all the time. Girls and boys flock all over you.”

“Sana, I don’t- I mean, I look like-” Momo shakes her head, giggling, not even trying to argue anymore. Sana breaks a smile too. “You’re crazy.”

“For you,” Sana winks.

Momo falls head-first into the water. She hopes Sana followed.

“Let me take pictures.” Sana grabs Momo’s phone from her grasp, sweetly ruining the moment. Sana just kept on snapping pictures, a huge grin plastered on her face.

“You’re zooming into my nose, aren’t you?” Momo puts a silly face on, puckering her lips and crossing her eyes. Sana laughs even more.

They eat their pasta. The glass of water comes moments after, much to the waiter’s embarrassment (and Sana’s pride).

“Momoring,” Sana calls after eating their meal. “Did you enjoy it?”

“You?” Momo asks, not skipping a beat.

“Yeah,” Sana answers back. There’s something about Momo asking her first; like it matters if Sana did enjoy it first, like it matters what Sana feels first. Like it’s supposed to be Sana first, always.

“I liked it very much.” Momo’s tone was cute, even making an annoyingly adorable face. She points her fork to the camera and adds, “This is my fork. I used it well.”

And the nonsense does matter, Sana concludes, all because Momo was the one who said it.

“And what about now? What are we doing?”

“Right now…” Momo begins to ramble. “We’re waiting for more food? I’m excited. They say their risotto here is good. There’s pizza, too. People here are so kind, like whenever-”

Sana rolls her eyes. Plays along. “Yeah, whenever our orders came, they asked if we liked it. Asked us if we needed anything else. Really kind.”

“Ah, stop teasing him.”

“Tell me, Momoring.” Sana puts her elbows on the table, stabilizing the camera focused on the older girl. “Do you like it when I get jealous?”

“So you were jealous?” Momo plays with her glass, swirling her drink. “Over something so small?”

Sana shrugs. “Perhaps.”

“A great perhaps.” Momo drinks, smirking. Sana wants to - wants to just…

She stops recording, almost throws the phone towards Momo but settling with a tissue napkin instead. “You’re annoying.”

\--

“I’m so full I could vomit.” Sana puts her hands over her tummy and whines. “What do I do?”

“Still up for that massage?” Momo hugs her from behind, also patting her tummy. And Sana could kick her, because when a person feels like vomiting, tight hugs are the last thing they need. But Momo’s hands feel warm, and they’re walking - waddling - in the streets of Waikiki, the clouds are out and it’s the perfect weather to get tight hugs, and maybe Sana doesn’t feel the need to puke everything out anymore.

“I am, baby, just give me a minute.”

And it’s funny, how Momo’s hands stop patting, how Momo stops walking, and how she stiffens up, and how Sana has this huge effect on her. It’s funny, and Sana giggles, because really, this is so obvious that all they need is one more step to -

“You know your face feels warm, right?” Sana asks, not turning around but putting one hand on Momo’s cheek. They can see the shore up ahead. Sana isn’t looking at Momo’s face, but she can feel it. She can feel the warmth.

“Uh, yeah,” Momo stutters, not backing up either. And they stay like that for two, five more seconds. “Should we move?”

“Do you feel that sometimes, Momoring?” Sana whispers, leaning her head on Momo’s chest, or shoulder, or neck, wherever she fits. She’s looking far in the distance. The waves hit the shore, as if kissing is all they know. “How absentmindedly you make me want you?”

It’s the honesty that Sana wants, and it’s the honesty that Sana had always been scared of. It’s because of what was ahead, of what they will leave, of what they could be, of what they could break.

“Maybe.” Momo kisses Sana’s neck, nuzzles, fits herself in there; in the middle of the street, in front of the beach. It becomes the usual push, the puzzle being completed yet again. And the fear leaves Sana instead. “Do you also feel that sometimes, Sana-chan?”

Sana turns around, looking at Momo deep in the eyes, hint of a smile playing around her lips. She loops her arms around Momo’s neck, and Momo’s hands go around her waist, and it becomes a slow dance, the puzzle being completed yet again; in the middle of the street, in front of the beach. “Feel what?”

“Hmm.” Momo looks up, making a tight-lipped smile (Sana calls it a shark smile). “That something. You know that, right?”

Sana could play this off again, like any other banter, like any other moment they left off. But they are in the middle of the street, in front of the beach, the shore and wave that only know how to kiss. She hears the rumble inside Momo’s heart, and it becomes clearer - clearer than ever, clearer now. She tightens her hold on the older girl, getting closer until their noses meet - a sweet kind of déjà vu.

“Tell me,” Sana whines as she sways them both. “Tell me, tell me.”

Momo shakes her head, smiling so hard that her cheeks feel like breaking.

“Tell me,” Sana pouts. _Tell me_ , she thinks. _Tell me everything I need to know. In this street. In front of the beach._

“Later,” Momo says, tapping Sana’s nose with her finger. “I want that massage first. I’ve been wanting to have that since you mentioned it this morning. Plus, we still have dinner. We have a long day to g-”

It was just a peck. It wasn’t the first time that Sana initiated, nor was it their first time overall. It wasn’t their first kiss. Momo didn’t have - never had - the time to process these things, because she always gets electrified, and then she gets stuck, and motionless, and basically, literally not breathing.

“Okay.” Sana closes her eyes, leans in once more, lips on lips again. Momo tastes her lipstick. Strawberries. The sweetest kind of déjà vu. “Later.”

_Fuck that massage,_ Momo thinks. _Fuck that dinner, too, honestly._

It goes like that all through the night, Sana initiating.

Like when they reached the counter of the spa, the woman asked “Do you need separate rooms?” and Sana beat her to it, squeezing her hand and saying, “No, we only want one.” Don’t get Momo wrong, she can get a damn massage with Sana in the room, but maybe not now, when her head is still above the clouds from their last conversation.

And then they actually go inside the room; it’s warm, and it has a small man-made falls inside, with rocks and Koi fish and all that zen stuff. It should be calming, refreshing, rejuvenating, healing - but the masseuse entered, bringing a set of scented oils and large body towels, saying, “You can change into these then pick the scent you like.” And Sana steps in again, confident as ever, “Do we need to be naked?” And of course, Momo lets out a breath when the masseuse shakes her head, “You can take off everything, though we usually let the clients decide, just as long as they are comfortable with it.” But when Sana answers with an “Oh, we’re comfortable with being naked.” Momo is sure that she forgot how her lungs worked.

So when the woman bows and exits, Sana turns around and shrugs, “Well? Strip.”

Momo’s brain short-circuits. Because she has seen Sana’s body countless times - she has seen her change clothes over and over, and she has seen her sweat and wet after gym hours, after showering, after performances - like, really, she has seen all of Sana, in all ways Sana could be, in all forms Sana could take.

_But look at her,_ Momo thinks. _Look at her being so beautiful all the goddamn time._

It’s a new experience. Calming, refreshing, rejuvenating. It heals. Until Momo is the only one clothed, and Sana saunters towards her, smiling kindly as she removes Momo’s top and bra - swiftly, gently, softly - and Momo’s heart wants to come out of her chest.

Sana reaches for a towel, wraps her favorite girl in it, and she kneels, right in front of Momo. She looks up, eyes wide and gentle and kind, asking for permission that Momo doesn’t even need to give anymore - and she takes off Momo’s pants, slowly, gently, softly. Her fingers touch every inch of Momo’s skin. It heals and heals and heals. Sana could kiss her again. Sana should kiss her again.

“I would kiss you again,” Sana whispers over the sound of water falling - like shouting over a rainstorm, but so much softer. “Later.”

There’s a knock, and Sana stands. They get their massage. They sleep. And Sana dreams.

\--

“ONCE… Guess what,” Momo chuckles and looks to her side, where Sana is. “We’re eating again. We've only been eating for two days straight.”

_Nah,_ Sana thinks. _That’s not all we've been doing._ But she won't say that.

“A while ago, we had a massage,” Sana begins. “I only remember the first 10-15 minutes and then I had a dream. In that dream, I changed my clothes and Momo called me to her bed. I went to her bed and we were talking when I saw a little kid who needed a massage. I told the kid, why are you here? You shouldn't be sore already, you’re a baby! And then I woke up because the door opened and the woman said ‘you should get out now, the other customers are coming’.”

(Sana said that in one breath. Maybe we can leave the rapping to her.)

“Right,” Momo continues the story. With this talkativeness, maybe vlogging is meant for them after all. “We were so tired even after the massage so we stayed there for a bit more. We really are so sorry for staying overtime. They asked us to go out and we immediately did.”

“As soon as we went out, there was a couple who asked for autographs, but we couldn’t even open our eyes.” Sana shifts in her seat, adjusting comfortably and looking around. There were two girls on the table beside them, talking loudly in English. “I slept with my contact lens in and felt like my eyes got stuck together.”

Momo nods and adds, “Also we intended to go to another restaurant but someone said the food isn't good there anymore. We went here instead…”

And the girls beside them kiss, long and deep like actual liberated women who can’t get enough of each other, and Momo makes a face like _Sana do you see that???_ because who the heck kisses in public, right, much more in a restaurant -

“Stop staring, Mo,” Sana comments, also flustered.

Momo chuckles again, because this is funny, and cute, and she says, “Orange juice!” because she can.

\--

It was a light dinner full of repeated stories and resounding laughter. Momo is sure that Sana’s laughter and stories are all etched in her bones, written here for thousands of years, a complete replica of their stars.

“Let's take the long way home,” Sana says in Momo’s ear, giggling, because she conveniently got a piggyback ride. Momo could never resist, and maybe Sana takes advantage of that sometimes.

Momo adjusts, lifting Sana a bit, holding her thighs tighter and then groaning. “You think you’re not heavy?”

“I think you like this as much as I do,” Sana counters as she wraps her arms tighter around Momo’s neck, almost making her choke. She grumbles playfully, letting out a roaring sound near Momo’s cheek. It’s more like a puppy’s bark. She bites Momo’s earlobe, kissing and kissing everywhere her lips reach.

“A furry!” Momo shouts, running forward, making Sana laugh louder. “I caught a furry and she’s on my back - ahh!”

The sound of the waves get louder, too, and their hotel comes into view. This was written long, long ago - sweet, sweet déjà vu - yet they feel so, so young, and so does the night.

\--

Momo throws Sana on the bed, back first, grunting like she meant what she said earlier - that Sana was indeed heavy.

“Ugh,” she groans for the nth time, arms sprawled all over. Sana is beneath her, taking her weight. “Go take a shower. I want sleep. Lots.”

Sana shifts and straddles Momo, pressing her hands down on Momo’s tummy. She pouts and says, “Did I tire you out?”

And what should Momo say - when Sana’s hair is as disheveled as it was this morning, when Sana is on top of her, pushing her further and further down the bed, pinning her wrists above her head, going closer and closer to her face until they’re exchanging breaths, and Momo could just lean up, just a tad bit closer, and she would be able to taste her, taste Sana, again and again, because it wouldn’t be their first time -

“It's later,” Sana reminds her.

The rumbling comes back, as if it was a signal that Momo dreaded to see. So she flips them both and jumps away from the bed, like close fire on thin skin. Sana frowns, sits up as Momo moves to get her toiletries.

“Uh.” Momo shakes her head and clears her throat. “Shower.”

“Right,” Sana says, disappointment present in her tone. “Shower.”

Momo buries the moment deeper when she answers, “Yeah, can I go first?”

And the moment gets burned when Sana says, “Of course.”

When the bathroom door closes, and Sana sighs into the bed, feeling the exhaustion - then and there, Sana thinks, is an example of the times wherein she isn’t first, isn’t priority. Like it doesn’t matter if Sana has something to say first, doesn’t really matter what Sana feels first. Like in these moments, it isn’t supposed to be Sana first. Not always. Momo has a heart to protect, a rumbling thunder to keep down, and a seven-year friendship to keep.

When the bathroom door opens, and Sana gets up to wash the tiredness away, Momo suggests that she sleeps first. And Sana could only nod, could only agree, because what else can they do on this island - in their shared hotel room, beside the beach, where they can hear the waves kissing the shore, where they can say anything they want and no one would hear - really, what else can Sana do? What should Sana say? The truth?

“Of course,” She settles with a fake smile. She’s been saying this a lot and it feels unreal.

When she opens the bathroom door, Momo calls for her again. “Sana?”

“Yes?”

“Cuddle me?”

What can Sana say? What should Sana do?

“Of course.”

\--

It must hurt, but it doesn’t. Sana hopes, still, after years of silently pining. She can't blame anyone, when she can't even be true herself. But it’s not over yet, she knows. Maybe it will never work out between them, but to hell with that, right? The world may change and all that bull, but Sana will always be Momo’s and Momo will always be Sana’s. It’s a thing of the past. It’s a gift of the present. It’s expected of their future. Sana and Momo, and Momo and Sana.

So when she goes out of the shower thinking about this, she’s back to herself, knowing that Momo is, too. Perhaps it has always been like this - Sana always goes back to Momo, and Momo always goes back to Sana, like coming home at the end of a long day.

“You took too long,” Momo yawns out, making grabby hands for Sana. She’s in her pajamas (yes, her pajamas, not Sana’s). “I was already dozing off.”

“You said you’d sleep first.” Sana hangs her towel properly and walks towards the edge of the bed. She crawls into Momo’s arms, settling there gently. Their bodies always fit, just like how the spaces between their fingers do.

Momo noses her neck, sniffing. “Buy your own shampoo next time.”

“Don’t wanna.”

“It’s weird when you smell like me.”

Sana simply hums. “It’s weird when I don’t smell like you.”

She faces Momo, putting her arms underneath her head. The other girl mimics so they are now facing each other. Sana puts tiny strands of hair behind Momo’s ear. Momo smiles drowsily.

“Thank you for today,” Sana whispers. The light in their room is orange, like the last sunset they saw in Korea. She doesn’t go any closer, doesn’t close the gap. But she does trace Momo’s outlines - from her brows, to her nose, to her lips, to her chin - lulling her favorite girl into sleep. She wants to kiss her forehead, but instead she closes the loose buttons on Momo’s pajamas, matching the mismatched like how she did this morning. There is no sun, just the stars, and it’s the moon instead that watches over them. A sweet, sweet déjà vu.

Sana turns off the bedside lamp. They both sleep, and one of them dreams about the previous night, not forgetting a single detail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> that's day two.
> 
> i love writing about samo... do you notice? is that weird? i have stuff about sanayeon and namo too that are yet to be uploaded on here.. idk im just bad at writing abt them so i revise a lot..? it's quite upsetting
> 
> sorry if this was cheesy and sappy. i have too much on my mind. i hope youre all doing good. stay close to things that make you genuinely happy.


	6. Tape 3 - Side B

Momo dreams and dreams. Sana turns and turns. Momo should be annoyed, and she is, but Sana’s loud thoughts are starting to become a form of entertainment.

“Mo.” Fingers travel inside her pajama top, tracing the outline of her abs. She feels like a puppy getting rubbed under the chin. “Hey.”

Momo, still with her eyes closed, raises one eyebrow. She grumbles, because Sana can be annoying sometimes. “This is the second time you're waking me up during this trip.”

Sana finally kisses Momo’s forehead, her fingers still lightly scratching the older girl’s tummy. There is no rush after all. Momo wants to purr.

“Wake up, I love you,” Sana whispers on Momo’s temple, now more quiet.

Another kiss. And it should wake Momo up, but it doesn’t. Instead it makes her want to sleep more, relax more, like this one is something she had always known.

“I know.” She does.

“I want to eat,” Sana complains. “We only had light dinner because of our heavy lunch so now I’m hungry and I want to eat. Let’s eat.”

Momo hums, because Sana’s fingers are now on her tummy _and_ her hair. This might be heaven on Earth. It’s the details that makes her want to succumb to Sana’s sweetness - there are little strands of hair tickling her nose.

“Let’s eat,” Sana repeats. Momo almost gives up. “Eat and shop, and explore Hawaii on our own two feet and spend our money and drink and kiss and be reckless together.”

Make her a list of things that could effectively wake her up and put this on top. Momo, the weak. Momo, all for -

“Sana?”

“What? Are we gonna get up and eat?”

“It’s nothing,” Momo replies. She pulls her closer, fixes the blanket atop their bodies, making the puzzles fit. “Just making sure of you.”

“Ah,” Sana says. “How is it?”

“You are here.” Momo lets her fingers run down Sana’s skin - her face, her shoulder, her arm, her hands, her own fingers. “So very here. I’m sure. For sure.”

She nuzzles her face in the crook of Sana’s neck. Puzzle pieces that wherever you put would miraculously fit.

“Now let me sleep.”

Sana groans. “But we have to eat and shop and eat and kiss and eat and shop.”

She can feel it on her chest, the smile. Momo’s front teeth are grazing on her skin. A giggle comes out, then a laugh. The gold dust floats. “Just say you want to kiss me and go.”

“I want to kiss you and go,” says Sana with a straight face - was supposed to be shocking but it wasn’t.

There’s breathing, and there’s silence, and then Momo remembers that there is also Sana. So Momo opens her eyes, only to see the said girl already staring.

“Momoring.”

“Yeah?”

“Nothing,” Sana says, translating in Japanese Momo’s own words, mirroring it back to her, over and over. Momo knows what will follow. “Just making sure of you.”

Momo comes closer, letting their noses meet. Cold air enters from the left-opened balcony. “How is it?”

Sana flutters her eyes closed, breathing in the precious moment. “You are here. So very here.”

And Momo leans in, softly, knowingly, because it wasn’t their first time. But it kinda is, for this kind of kiss.

“You sure?”

“So very sure.” Sana nods, still with her eyes closed, and then adds, “And Mo?”

“Yeah?” Momo quips, perking up. Sana’s sleepy voice does something to her system, like weaken it or strengthen, somewhere beyond, unexplainable -

“You will be smiling when I open my eyes, right?”

“See for yourself.”

Sana doesn’t. Instead she reaches out to Momo’s face, tracing her lips, her cheeks, her eyes with her fingertips. Momo pretends to bite her fingers away, and then kisses them - once, twice, multiple times. There’s a giggle, and then a laugh. The parallels of it all, like it’s been done over and over -

“Good,” Sana breathes out, slowly opening her eyes. “‘Cause I don’t know what to do after a kiss.”

There’s silence, and then - “I think you just kiss again.”

Momo is so close that Sana is sure they both have their eyes crossed.

“And that’s based on what?”

“On experience.”

“What experience?”

Momo kisses Sana again, now perched on one of her elbows for better angle, but still as soft as it was just seconds ago. Sunlight under the moon, like time and weather don’t even matter in this space. “This experience.”

Momo’s eyes are brown and light and full of wonder. Pretty.

“Pretty.” Sana cups Momo’s face, trying to decipher if any of this is a figment of her previous dream, from the previous night. Trying to remember if she drank any wine. “Pretty déjà vu.”

“This never happened before-”

“With you, it always has happened sometime before.” Sana kisses her on the corner of her lips. “I have kissed you there a million times, a million years ago.”

She kisses Momo on her upper lip, capturing just that, a little peck.

“Your Sana has kissed you there, her Momo, a million times, a million years ago.”

There’s silence, and a smile or two - and then it happens, somewhere in between: blinding ray of sunlight, sweet lullaby of the moon, burst of golden dust, sudden rush of blue water, thunder rumbling loudly as if it’s close -

“That’s good then,” Momo follows, leaning closer, pressing Sana’s body further into the bedsheets. “My Sana is here with me, and she is new and old. I could kiss her a million times, if she wants me to.”

Sana smiles. They have had this conversation a million times before. “Of course. Your Sana is here with you, has always been with you, was always with you...”

“Perfect.” Momo kisses the tip of Sana’s nose, letting the time tick. What were they supposed to do again? “And the kiss?”

There’s silence, and then - it goes in all ways - Sana and Momo.

“A million times sounds good.” Her fingers run through Momo’s hair, hypnotizing. “You can start counting.”

There’s a giggle, from Momo, and a laugh, from Sana. “Cool. One.”

She gives one. There’s another giggle. Sana says nothing, letting her continue.

“Two.” She gave two.

“That makes it three.” Sana pulls their body closer, wrapping her legs around Momo’s waist.

“And? Five.” Momo gives ten. And then, giggles. “Can I kiss your cheeks? They look cute. I need to kiss them.”

“What about what I need?” Sana whines, giving space for a neck kiss. She shivers, and Momo notices. “I need to eat and shop.”

Momo’s full weight is now on her. The moon never felt this close. “Let it go, I’m not getting up.”

“Well I am,” Sana says, already shifting their positions so that she is now sitting on Momo’s tummy and straddling her. “Come with me.”

What should Momo do? When her lungs are filled with golden dust, when her eyes are filled with only Sana, when thunder roars madly, when the moon gets light from the sun -

“Okay.”

Hands find each other and intertwine. Like magnets, all their jagged ends meet - until it’s cheek on cheek, and heartbeats growing louder, and the moon getting brighter, and the sun getting hotter, and - and fuck shopping, by the way.

“I’m going to hug you for thirteen more seconds,” Sana mumbles on Momo’s shoulder. The vibrations reach the deepest part of the ocean, making the floor shake, sending waves to the shore. The moon writes another letter. “And then I’m going to say something crazy.”

“Okay,” Momo says nodding, though Sana will never see. “I’m going to count.”

Sana tries to sit up. “We have established that you _cannot_ count-”

“One.” Momo pulls her back down, with force that made her hair act all messy and lovely. She kisses Sana’s shoulder; the exposed skin warm on Momo’s cold lips. “I can count better than anyone.”

“Sure. You know numbers.” The giggle fits are endless, and it would soon make a whole album in Momo’s mind. Sana pushes her head up, kissing Momo on the chin, propping her elbow on Momo’s chest. They could stay here. They should stay here. Sana raises her brow, a challenge when she says - “Prove it.”

It does something, like a turn-on switch. A literal turn-on, when Sana doesn’t stop teasing, biting her bottom lip playfully, as if this is okay, as if the moon is capable of handling so much light - “There were two other girls.”

Sana raises her brow higher, pretending that she knows where this is going.

“Two other girls when,” Momo loops a loose strand of Sana’s hair around her finger. “When we met. Two more contracts beside ours.”

“That’s cheating, we always talk about that-”

“One girl was different,” Momo continues, not letting Sana comment. The fierceness made Sana shut up. “We had something in common.”

Sana rolls her eyes. “Sweet talker-”

“One hour and three minutes,” Momo whispers. “When you take a long bath. Sometimes more, when at night, and you just bought a new bath bomb.”

And it continues.

“One mole on your right cheek, just above your cheekbone.” Momo traces that part. “Another on the other side. And then one one your neck.”

“You’re cheating again. You can see them all right now-”

Momo reaches behind her, hands soft and fingers cold. “A little one on your back, just between your dimples here.” She taps, and pulls Sana up, letting them both savor another kiss. It never gets deeper than this.

“Fine, but,” Sana says. “It seems that you can only count up to two.”

Momo shakes her head, proud and grinning. “I have kissed you a million times. That means I can count up to-”

“A million, okay, I get it.” Sana sits up on Momo’s tummy, because her back hurts from that position. Like when making actual puzzles. One just can’t stay in one place for a long time.

She makes a come hither, and Momo sits up too. Her hands cup Momo’s face, beaming entirely. She is holding the whole world in the palms of her hands. A cliff that is Momo, and a daredevil that is Sana.

“Say it.” Another kiss, and some fingers beneath Sana’s top. It matters who jumps. “What you wanted to say earlier, say it.”

“You say it first.” It matters.

“Okay,” Momo complies, they both always do. “You’re the one girl who was different.”

Silence. And two pairs of brown eyes.

“Now it’s your turn.”

Momo expects a kiss - maybe right there on the cheek. Momo expects another embrace - maybe thirteen more seconds. Momo expects -

“Sixteen.” Sana plays with the hem of Momo’s top, lingering on the skin underneath. What matters is the jump. And after that? Who knows?

Loud hearts, brown eyes, golden dust, and more sunlight - “Sixteen?”

Momo expects - sixteen hours of recording, sixteen days of practice, sixteen participants before-

Sana nods. “I loved you ever since.”

Momo opens her mouth to speak, but then Sana blurts, “Two thousand and twelve-”

“When we met-”

“Yes-”

“Don’t tell me-” Momo’s face contorts and it’s comical to the younger girl.

“Hell, I will-”

“No, wait-”

Sana cups Momo’s face and puts the tip of their noses together, like she is seeing the puzzle from above and knows - really, really knows - that this is almost complete. Her heart is so loud. “Shh, it just can’t wait-”

“But I must say it first-”

Giggles. And then, laughter. “Momoring, it doesn’t matter-”

“Sana,” Momo breathes out. It matters. “I loved you ever since.”

And then, much later, kissing. Like a million times more. Because they both knew, and they both will know - for a million years more.

“I guess that’s settled.” Sana smiles, beaming ever so brightly, and it’s pretty - Momo chokes out. She wants to cry when Sana once again whispers, “I loved you ever since, too. Maybe right when you started loving me - or before.” 

And Momo does cry, hugging Sana while quiet, little tears come out. “I’m gonna hug you for sixteen more seconds.”

“Okay,” Sana coos, patting Momo’s hair and wrapping her legs around Momo. “That’s okay.”

Here, in their shared hotel room, where the waves keep on kissing the shore, and they are a thousand miles away from work, and no one knows them but the sky - thunder rumbles.

“You woke me up for real.” Momo sniffles after a while, looks at Sana with puffy red eyes. Sana kisses her cold nose. “Let’s eat.”

It’s still distant, somewhere close and far. It shouts a name, and it’s getting louder and louder, and that’s good, Momo thinks, because that’s what she wants to hear -

She likes the sound and feel of Sana’s heart.

\---

“Hi, ONCE.” Momo waves to the camera like routine. “I’m waiting for Sana to get ready.”

It’s not even worth a thirty minute half bath, Momo thinks. She could go out the streets of Hawaii in her pajamas. So when something fell inside the shower - maybe another free bottle of shampoo - she chuckles even more. Because it’s Sana. Of course it’s Sana. Clumsy Sana. Her clumsy, clumsy Sana.

“You okay there?” Momo shouts and puts down the camera. “What’s taking you so long?”

“Nothing!” Sana shouts back. Stuff fall again. “Shit!”

Momo shakes her head as she thinks about how Sana cursing can make her feel things, and then starts playing songs from her phone to distract that exact thought… whatever that was about. A Billie Eilish song comes on just as Sana comes out of the shower.

“I love that song!” Sana cheers and then randomly started dancing, silly at first. And then -

“Can I record you?” Momo asks kindly. “For MoSa TV?”

And Sana, her naughty, naughty Sana, only smirks and says, “Of course.”

Momo learned it in high school, one of the few lessons she remembered - that in beauty, there are three components that the human eyes would usually look for. Three things that would satisfy the word beauty, from its naked flaws to its highest peak - its transcendence.

Sana moves her hips, lusciously, as if knowing where to go and what to do next; like she has practiced this fifty times, and has perfected it just tonight, just for Momo to see. From the moment they met, Momo has never spent a day without Sana dancing. That is most probably how Sana could liven up a room, light it up like she is the only thing that matters. Like she was made for dancing, and dancing could never be worthwhile without her.

The first component is consonance - the proportionality of each body part that accords to the human’s purpose. It makes sense, when this proportionality follows functionality, which then came from a single purpose. It is when, for example, traffic lights are bound to be seen on every intersection, red and green and yellow blinking; or when each facility should have smoke alarms on every floor, ringing and ringing when fire comes -

Like how Sana’s hands raise up playfully and sexily over her head while her loud laughter resounds, echoing in the closed room, hips swaying to the sensuality of the song, shoulders going up and down to try and turn the dance around (sexy to adorable, Momo can’t even decide), and her eyes that smile with her teeth, she smirks and looks directly at the camera - at Momo - and it was enough to effectively shoot arrows to the poor girl’s heart.

Sana’s purpose lies in this: in making Momo swoon, in making her fall, letting her glide smoothly in every ounce of love that bounces off the walls of the room, in every ounce of love that is Sana.

The traffic lights go wild, and they don’t know if they want to be red, or green, or yellow - they just blink, without stopping. The streets are in chaos, and there is no organization unless the drivers do not follow the signs and just go about it the atypical way - give and take, a stop and go.

The smoke alarms aren’t working, Momo supposes. Or maybe it’s just taking too long to put the fire out. Or maybe the fire doesn’t want to be put out. Nevertheless, it is extremely hot as of the moment.

The second component is integrity - the completeness that would bring about the human’s whole essence. Think of it as a whole; like a house that has a kitchen on the first floor and a bedroom on the second, or like a school that has at least one library, a court gym, offices, a few classrooms -

Sana sticks out her ass and does something so expected of her, yet it shocks Momo to no end, she drops - _god,_ she dropped - and then blows a kiss, and Momo gasps, quite inaudibly as she only could emit little inhuman sounds, and then Sana giggles, because it’s fun, so, so fun teasing Momo - there is a total breakdown in that minute moment. The absolute shamelessness in Sana’s movements - how she picks up a flower garland and twirls it above her head, wears it around her neck, still smirking and smiling and making Momo crazy - so, so, so goddamn crazy - and then she’s back to being playful, doing a hula dance that reminds Momo that they are in Hawaii, they are still on Earth - and Sana, she’s here and she’s blushing, hard, and she gets so flustered, yet exudes so much confidence that Momo wasn’t even given little time to breathe -

Sana’s essence presents itself this way: in this room, her wholeness engulfs Momo, encapsulating them both in ardent love and utter fearlessness.

The third component is clarity - when all parts of the human radiates their meaning, their essence, in the clearest manner possible. Like how blissful romance is rarely shown through black and white, and like how the sun manifests itself every day, without fail. There is general truth in these things, and it’s unusual to ever see their lights die out.

The music doesn’t stop, but Sana slowly does, making her way to the beauty mirror as she fixes her hair and puts on lipstick. When the song ends and Sana smiles, heaving from the mild exhaustion, Momo concludes - in the most logical way she has ever done - Sana is, in the highest form of the word, beautiful.

“I can dance alright when I do it freely without pressure,” Sana comments on herself, breathing heavily. She turns to Momo and adds, “But when people are like, freestyle bang! Sana! That’s when I can’t do it.”

Momo chuckles, because that’s true. And she’s still coming down from that… high, that she can't say anything else but a chuckle.

“I really want to do my best, but I can’t.” Sana goes back to fixing herself, insecurity in her voice. “You get me, right?”

“I do,” Momo assures, her heart calming down. “You did well, Sana-ssi.”

“Yes, thank you,” Sana replies. “Have you seen our - ah, here it is.”

Sana puts on her ring and starts organizing her bag just as Momo gets up from the bed. “Shall we go now?”

“Are you going to wear a sleeveless shirt?” Sana asks, peeking her head from the edge of the bed, to which Momo answers a “Yes, I will wear this one.”

Momo starts getting bored, so she too dances in front of the camera, just to do something. She picks out songs from her rather private playlist. What? She makes those when she has the time.

“I know that song,” Sana comments and drinks from her bottled water. “Didn’t one of our seniors dance to that-?"

Momo dances. Sana turns to watch her and she groans, frustrated. “We can’t possibly get out when you’re moving like that.”

Momo halts her movements, plays another song, and laughs, “I told you we should just stay here.”

“Just because you’re playing Fancy doesn’t mean my mood is ruined.” Sana saunters towards her in a daunting manner, looping her arms around Momo’s neck. She kisses the tip of Momo’s nose. “I don’t really hate our own songs that much.”

(She does.)

“Okay, let’s go. My phone and camera are about to die,” Momo says, patting Sana’s butt. She goes in front of the body mirror and calls for Sana. “The essential mirror selfie.”

Sana exits the room first and notices the good lighting. “Hey, it’s nice to take pictures here. But my hair is a mess.”

“Let me see.” Momo continues to walk and Sana shows her unruly baby hair. “Cute.”

Sana’s the one who stops and poses in the middle of the lounge, says it was her dreamy-look angle.

“Like I said, you look cute. And fine,” Momo compliments. “Hold the camera for me.”

Sana takes the camera and Momo kisses her cheek. She presses the elevator button.

“I tried this sunscreen that Momo recommended for me,” she tells ONCEs. “But it doesn’t go with my skin, apparently. So I’m giving it to my mom instead.”

“Is it 5pm in Korea? Maybe six? It’s only 11 here,” Momo says distractedly. “Time zones are confusing.”

The elevator door opens and they walk hand in hand. (Momo’s other hand holding up the camera.)

“I am so forgetful nowadays-”

“Why? Did you forget something?”

“No,” Momo laughs. “I have my phones, camera, and this purse with me so I’m good.”

“I thought you forgot something. My heart was racing already,” Sana says, a hand over her chest.

“It wasn’t because I was holding your hand?”

Sana rolls her eyes. Momo can be sappy. “Probably, idiot.”

“So, where are we going?”

“I don’t know.” They both laugh, because that’s who they are. “We’re always like this.”

“Where should we go, Sana-ssi? We have no plans at all.”

Sana holds Momo’s hand tighter, squeezing it like a habit. She skips and hops towards the direction of a nearby shop. “It’s because we’re Sana and Momo.”

“How about we take the bus?” Momo pants and pulls Sana towards her. The more tired they get, the more food they will eat later. “Anything, whatever we could do.”

“Come on, Momoring,” Sana pulls back, already reaching the store. “My feet hurt and I need to buy sandals. You promised me we’d buy couple sandals.”

“Sana’s feet hurt today.” Momo speaks in formal Korean. “What are you going to buy? Get something comfortable, Sana-ssi.”

Sana smiles, heart fluttering. “Yes, ma’am.”

\---

“Yeah, so, we’ve been walking around for thirty minutes,” Momo exaggerates. “Sana? Anything to say?”

She giggles first and then tells the story, “We’ve been waiting for a bus to stop, but they weren’t stopping even if we were at a bus stop. Aren’t buses supposed to stop at bus stops?”

“We wanted to go anywhere on a bus.” Momo pouts while talking. Sana’s heart wrenches. “But it never came. When it did, it didn’t stop for us.”

“Aigoo,” Sana coos and cups Momo’s pouting face in both her hands. They are on the side of the road, with cars passing by. She pecks Momo’s lips, over and over, multiple times while giggling. Momo breaks out a smile. “Why aren’t buses stopping for my Momo-chan?”

Momo nods, goes back to pouting so Sana would pepper her with love and kisses again. It works. “Yes, tell them.”

Sana wraps her arm around Momo, kisses her jaw and earlobe. The beach just beside them, the wind blowing quietly, and the camera recording everything. Sana turns to the camera, cheek to cheek with Momo. “Buses! Come here!”

Momo kisses her cheek, over and over, multiple times while giggling. She must say it, or her whole body is going to explode. “I love you.”

The moon looks as bright as the sun tonight, and that makes total sense. “I love you, too.”

“We got abandoned by the buses,” Momo goes back to the topic.

“Do you want to ride a bike instead?” Sana suggests, and fixes Momo’s little strands of hair.

“Should we rent?” Momo asks. Sana nods. “I’d like that too.”

(No bikes. They go shopping. This time, for their family and of course, the members. They brag about it to ONCEs, and Momo loses the files, but that’s okay. ONCEs don’t need to know how domestic they are when doing groceries, and how they can’t spend a minute without kissing.)

\---

When they go back to the hotel and finally ends the day - Sana officially ends it with an “Okay, I swear that when we get in this bed, we’re really going to sleep” - all they do is wash up and cuddle. It’s 2AM. They both are tired from walking around.

“Mo?” Sana whispers in the darkness of the room.

Momo groans, but tucking herself closer to the girl anyway. “What is it now?”

“Nothing,” Sana says. Momo hums. They both know what’s next. “Just making sure of you.”

And then there’s silence, because Momo doesn’t need to ask how it is, how sure Sana is. They sleep, and they dream and dream. Sana turns in Momo’s arms; like coming home at the end of the day, except they were together the whole day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Hawaii to Korea is a 9hr flight. Korea is 19hrs ahead of Hawaii.  
> (DEPARTURE) When they took a flight on May 27, they were at the airport at around 5-6PM KST.  
> (1ST DAY) They probably landed at 2AM KST. That is 7AM HST. Momo took videos at 11AM HST as shown in her first upload. That night, they went to get dinner at a revolving restaurant, went to the beach, and Momo realized that she lost her phone along the way. That was May 28 in Korea. May 27 in Hawaii.  
> (2ND DAY) In the morning HST, they find Momo’s phone. Around lunch time, they eat at a nice restaurant. In the afternoon, they get a massage. At night, Sana dances to Billie Eilish and then they went out to shop. That was May 29 in Korea. May 28 in Hawaii.  
> (***)And then, MoSa TV 4 @ around 9:40 mark, shows them both shopping for souvenirs. The next clips @ around 10:08 mark show them shopping too, but they seemingly have new clothes on. They danced to the song 7 rings, and then ate dinner. Sana did the ‘Ohyo ohyo’ dance. Maybe from the 10:08 mark, it was a different night already, because the 3rd day is missing from the videos. Or perhaps Momo just didn’t want to share it. :)  
> (4TH DAY) In the next morning HST, Momo says it’s their third morning. Sana says it’s the fourth. Momo would make much more sense, if only it wasn’t their last day in Hawaii. But it was. So that morning, they ate an acai bowl. They had white flowers in between their ears. Momo called Sana pretty. They said it’s the day that they will go back to Korea. That was May 31 in Korea. May 30 in Hawaii.  
> (ARRIVAL) They were back in Korea on May 31, around 5PM KST. That was May 30, 10PM HST. Which makes sense, because their flight was probably on May 30, 1PM HST.
> 
> \- I see all your comments. I’ll try to do better with every chapter and every story. Thank you for making me feel like I could grow here.


	7. Tape 4 - Side A / B

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's change the news a bit.

_[ Driving to Hawaii ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peZaA_MigKg) _

_Surfing down the street_

_Dreaming of these places_

_I may never see_

_Maybe if we get there_

_Things will be much easier_

_And life won’t be nothing anymore_

_Well babe when we’re together_

_We’ve always such nice weather_

_Guess we don’t need these places anyway_

_We’ll strum out and be picking our guitars_

_We’ll drink all day and sing under the stars_

_How magically simple our life could be_

_Driving to Tahiti_

_Let's take off your bikini_

_Jump in something warmer_

_And fall asleep together_

* * *

**Side A**

Maybe happiness is this - when Momo wakes up another morning and smiles when she sees Sana. Maybe happiness is feeling warm and content while watching a telenovela they can’t understand. Happiness is when Momo’s head is on Sana’s lap, and Sana’s fingers are running through her hair, and Sana gives her a spiderman kiss.

Maybe love is when it doesn’t feel wrong, doesn’t feel hastened, doesn’t feel like a boring routine. Rather it feels right, feels slow, feels new.

Momo could see the little moles on Sana’s cheeks, the said girl leaning back on the bed while humming a familiar tune. So slow, so right, so new.

“You’re thinking.” Sana yawns, looking down at her.

The characters on the TV are speaking Spanish, a language both of them are foreign to - but it all feels and looks worthwhile.

Momo faces the TV, lying on her side, back of the hand under her cheek that’s making her lips form into a pout. Sana leans forward to see just this.

“This is relaxing,” Momo mumbles. After a moment, she perks, “I’m thinking. Will you let me buy us dinner later?”

And then, another spiderman kiss. It started when they were having their first comeback, when Momo liked sleeping on leather couches in waiting rooms even when her back hurt a lot from doing so. Sana would be tasked by the managers to wake her up, adding that she is the only one who will never get a sleepy karate kick from Momo.

A spiderman kiss was always a good wake-up call. Plus, everyone can tell how Momo’s mood is much better when Sana gives her just that.

“You can buy us dinner,” Sana says, the kiss lingering on Momo’s forehead. She adds, “You can make us breakfast.” She kisses Momo, fully on the lips, because now she can. After, she pecks once and then twice, and then multiple times. One after every word. “We can get lunch dates, brunch dates, and midnight snacks, and afternoon snacks, too.”

Momo giggles, because she wants Sana to continue when she asks, “What else can we have?” She wants the conversation to roll out, telling what they are cautious about - “Sana? What else, what else?”

And it should be easy - very easy - to say that Momo has always wanted Sana; always been a coward for hiding that. But can you blame her, if there are seven other girls in her life, and Sana has more outside that circle? Can you blame her, when the room is warm, and Sana’s fingers on her hair are doing their magic, and her lips are so full, and Momo is hungry -

Can you blame Momo, when Sana looks so beautiful all the time, and she knows that she is beautiful, too, in Sana’s eyes - really, what could possibly go wrong? She would only ask again and maybe Sana would answer - the right answer - and this tension would go away, this thing between them would go a hundred levels higher, and it would -

“You know what I want,” Sana softly whispers, tickling Momo’s ear. It makes her skin crawl - probably with excitement and delight. Sana can’t help but laugh though. “Breakfast, pervert.”

“Nobody gets breakfast at 5 AM.” Momo rolls her eyes but follows a bit later nonetheless to call room service. Because Sana is right - breakfast first.

Fuck later. Or something.

\---

“Let’s lay like vegetables all day.” Sana shifts on the bed, leaning on her elbow so that her eyes meet Momo’s. She parts Momo’s bangs.

Momo shifts, too - their noses barely touching. They could have been naked, should be. “I wanna be the avocado.”

“That’s a fruit.” Sana comes closer, leaves a kiss, and goes back to her place. Momo invades it later, reasoning that she fits perfectly there and it would be a waste not to rent it out.

“Anything but cucumbers and watermelons,” Momo lies down again and stares at the ceiling.

“Those are fruits.” Sana crawls into her arms, too sweet and warm. Eyelashes on Momo’s neck - it tickles still, but she doesn’t say anything. Sana is wonderful.

“Okay.” Momo kisses her forehead, imprinting something more than affection. “Let’s be vegetables. Veggies get steamed in hot springs. Do they go to beaches too?”

“They will also buy green tea and t-shirts for the girls.” Sana yawns for the fifth time. “Remind me later.”

“Green tea and t-shirt,” Momo nods, feeling the tiredness from doing nothing. Her eyes are closed, picturing her and Sana in this bed. “Green tea and t-shirt. And I want to give them that snack we ate.”

Sana wraps her arms and legs tightly around Momo. It would become a puzzle to solve later - much later, before they go dipping - when she wakes up being the little spoon instead.

“What about tomatoes?”

“Fruits too,” Sana replies sleepily, lulled once more by Momo’s voice. The last thing she heard was the older girl’s whining - ‘But that doesn’t matter, Sa-tang. Only being together matters.’

\---

It was a ten-minute drive from the city. That’s far enough from people. They found out that there are private hot springs around and Momo jumped on the first opportune moment when she saw it on Google. She booked it after the restaurants. The reservation wasn’t cheap, but how can she deny this beauty in front of her?

Funny how they are both Japanese but have never been to a hot spring. How their teenage years were greatly occupied by sweat from training. It would be an understatement to say that they are excited now. Sana ran to the changing room once they’re done talking to the receptionist.

“It’s slippery, stop running!” Momo shouted, scolding but giggling because Sana runs like a baby with her hands flapping beside her.

“Come on, Momoring, we don’t have all day!”

The steam was seeping in Sana’s skin, and it feels good. In the changing room, the floor was cold. Now that they have fluffy slippers, it’s warmer.

“Where are the other people?” Sana backs away from the rocks and into Momo’s arms. Water is kissing her skin fully, but Momo’s lips are much softer. She sighs.

“This is a private hot spring,” Momo whispers. Her fingers trace Sana’s stomach. “Why? Do you want to see other girls naked?”

“I’ve been seeing naked girls all my life.” She closes her eyes and leans back further. The beauty of it all, when she feels Momo’s fingers go slightly lower. To where they have never dared go. She covers these fingers with her own. They are together. “In waiting rooms, the company, the dorm-”

“And?”

“And I’ll never get tired of it?” Sana giggles. Momo’s fingers stop.

Sana turns around, hands holding Momo’s face. Every sound their bodies make in the water is soothing. Their fears would be washed away soon. Sana knows.

“You shouldn’t be worried.” Water falls from the bamboo, making everything much more... Relaxing, Sana would think, as it should be. But this bath is getting warmer as Momo scratches down her back, leaving prints.

Her face must be turning red.

It’s when their bare chests meet that Sana feels it - a wave of doubt. How ready are they? How long have they waited? Are they thinking of the same thing-

“Just because we are alone doesn’t mean we have to.” And Momo says this because, in all those years, they have been here many times but none of them braved forward.

She must be turning red.

“Just because I’m looking at you like this doesn’t mean I want to do it right now.” Sana smiles, and it’s wonderful how her eyes form crescents. It’s becoming so much harder to resist her, now that they are free to talk. Free to do anything. “I wouldn’t want our first in a public place either.”

“This is a private hot spring.” Momo pulls Sana closer, their wet noses touching. At that moment, Momo knew once again that when Sana is this close… Well - it’s over for her.

“Then we need to go,” Sana whispers, leaving a faint kiss on Momo’s lips. Momo’s hands go a tad lower behind, squeezing and making Sana groan just a bit. The giggling right after was much more adorable.

When the kiss stops, it’s not enough. “But why?”

And it would never be enough now, to kiss. Because Sana hit her shoulder playfully and abruptly stood up, all in her naked glory, and Momo knew once again that when Sana is this close… well -

“Why?” Sana’s skin is softer than it looks, much more. It would be a sin not to taste, but she was right, anyway. Not in here. “Because this isn’t us, Momoring. We have all the time.”

Sana offers her hand. The pool isn’t that deep, but Sana looks taller and much more capable right now. Momo’s weak, perhaps too weak, so she just whines, takes the hand, and then - “Where are we going?”

Momo stands too, and water flowed down her body. Sana’s eyes followed it, that flow - a moment so familiar yet so new. A moment that made Momo want so badly to stay.

“Anywhere,” Sana says, turning back and gulping in secret. She’s walking away from the moment.

Momo could only follow the red marks.

\---

While Momo tried on blue and pink sunglasses, Sana was looking for green tea. While Momo tried on big summer hats, Sana was looking for shirts. So when they finally met at the counter, Momo had a funny hat and funky shades. Sana’s cart was full of quirky shirts that say I LOVE HAWAII and at least fifty packs of tea.

Momo walks towards her with the biggest grin; hair down and messy. (That hime cut would end Sana anytime soon.) She puts her phone out, wanting to save this moment forever. But Sana leaves her grocery cart in line, making grabby hands towards her, and Momo’s heart hurts - because what the hell, Minatozaki Sana is so, so, so beautiful. Sana walks briskly, quickly, excitedly - making Momo’s vision tunnel. It’s just Sana, has always been just Sana, will always be just Sana.

“Couldn’t be more in love,” Sana sighs out as she loops her arms around Momo’s neck, bumping her forehead on Momo’s hat. There’s a giggle, and then a kiss.

They’re in the middle of a supermarket, and Momo realizes that this is the first time that they would actually do this in a place where people would actually see. So she pulls closer, hands on Sana’s hips - because kissing in a supermarket is absolutely sweet.

Absolutely… absolutely.

She’s focused on this - on Sana’s lips, Sana’s fingers playing with the little strands of hair on her nape, Sana’s tongue, Sana’s skin on hers, Sana, Sana, Sana -

Then, there’s a clap. And one more. And another. And then a howl, like people are cheering. They don’t mind it. No one does. No lines were broken, anyway.

Momo forgets to press record.

\---

Freedom is when they are out in the streets of a foreign country and no one would recognize them. Freedom is when they dance to a foreign song in a foreign country and no one would recognize them. Freedom is when they go to a resto-club full of noisy people but order rice meals, fries, and ice cream instead. Freedom is when they go to bed together.

Sana is on her knees, on the bed, tying Momo’s robe. They put their phones on silent. So when Momo’s phone vibrates on the wooden table, Sana covers it up with a question. “What happens tomorrow?”

There’s a pause and a snort, and once again - “Why? Where are we going? What’re we gonna do?”

Sana rolls her eyes, because isn’t it obvious by now - that whatever is here, will not be there? She opens her arms and Momo melts, fitting perfectly. Maybe nothing will change after all.

“We’ll go home.”

“Yes, and?” Momo snickers, because what is here that isn’t there? The silence would later be more comfortable, as it always is, but it isn’t right now. So Momo fills it - “That doesn’t matter,” she says, wide awake yet slowly being pulled by her dreams. “What matters is being together.”

Sana plays with her hand. Momo always wears it on the left nowadays, and her on the right. So when they meet, they look like shiny things that dropped from the sky.

“You think and think.” Momo ruffles Sana’s hair with her left hand, like how big sisters do. This is where Sana loses her control because this Momo is back - and this Momo is always smiling, always kind, and pretentious. This Momo is different - because they are going to sleep, and tomorrow will be different, and they should be packing things up tonight, and nothing shall change, nothing will change, nothing did change, except the fact that Sana wants everything to change -

“I kissed you in a supermarket.” Sana holds onto this - to what happened and to what will come next. To what the people saw. To what the company would do. To what the news would say. To what their families would say. To what the girls would say.

Momo only hums. Sana wants to pull her out of those dreams. Instead, Momo pulls her closer.

“I did, too.”

* * *

**Side B**

When Momo does continue recording, her first words were - “This is our third morning here,” which was wrong, so Sana said, “No, this is our fourth.”

Momo knows it’s the third.

When they woke up that morning and headed to the concierge, a young man approached them with a bright smile and said in English, “You are both as pretty as these.”

Momo thanked him for the little flowers.

When Sana took said flowers, she helped Momo put it in between her ears. Sana took her hat and put it on her ears too. The guy was walking away and waved to them, “You are both as pretty as those.”

Sana found him cute. Momo found him weird. Maybe it’s the way he spoke.

When they were walking to the restaurant that Mina suggested, Sana explained to the camera why she was wearing a hat. “I made a new style.”

Momo said, “Pretty.” It made Sana smile. So she added, “Unique.” And it made Sana blush. It made Momo talk about other things, like how they stayed up late and cannot sleep. It made Sana talk about other things, like how they should exercise after eating and pack up properly.

Their smiles didn't leave their lips.

When they were finally eating, they opened the group chat for the first time since they decided to go Airplane Mode. They sent a selfie and a picture of the acai bowl to the girls.

Nayeon asked if that was what Mina recommended, plus a picture of her in Lotte World. Jeongyeon sent a picture of her own pets with Seungyeon’s hand doing a peace sign, and then another of her bungee jumping. Jihyo sent a picture of her knee-deep in an ocean somewhere in the Philippines. Dahyun sent a picture of her riding a horse in Jeju. Chaeyoung replied with a strawberry emoji, and a picture of her new painting. Mina told them to come over to her house in Japan and tell her everything that happened. Two minutes later, she sent a photo of a sleeping Ray. Their staff uploaded a new Naver Update.

And much later, the airport would be filled with flashing cameras. The sun would be so high up that they wouldn’t even see a thing. The wind would be so strong, and they would be pushing their own luggage that they wouldn’t even get to hold hands. Their managers would pick them up.

Momo and Sana, underneath their bucket hats. [Finger hearts out the window.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuXg74ea4Wk)

They would check the news because they can’t help but be curious. ‘The pictures aren’t clear,’ Momo would say with a pout, showing the homepage of Naver.

‘The pictures released were the only ones that got through damage control.’ Sana would giggle.

‘They could have chosen a better angle,’ their manager would comment. A hidden smirk would play along, and Sana would say, 'Did the staff have a hard time?'

'Yes,' she would answer truthfully. Before the couple gets sullen, she would add, 'Nayeon is at the dorm, waiting. She says you need to-'

Sana would know what truly matters when she looks to the side and sees Momo already looking. Momo would be brave even if she doesn't know what would happen next. They would be together.

Momo would squeeze Sana's hand. Sana would squeeze back. The images of fine sand and cool waves would reel - for replay.

  
  



End file.
